A strategy for strengthening chaotic mixing of dual shaft eccentric mixers by changing non-Newtonian fluids kinetic energy distribution

Efficiently modulating the velocity distribution and flow pattern of non-Newtonian fluids is a critical challenge in the context of dual shaft eccentric mixers for process intensification,posing a significant barrier for the existing technologies.Accordingly,this work reports a convenient strategy that changes the kinetic energy to controllably regulate the flow patterns from radial flow to axial flow.Results showed that the desired velocity distribution and flow patterns could be effectively obtained by varying the number and structure of baffles to change kinetic energy,and a more uniform velocity distribution,which could not be reached normally in standard baffle dual shaft mixers,was easily obtained.Furthermore,a comparative analysis of velocity and shear rate distributions is employed to elucidate the mechanism behind the generation of flow patterns in various dual-shaft eccentric mixers.Importantly,there is little difference in the power number of the laminar flow at the same Reynolds number,meaning that the baffle type has no effect on the power consumption,while the power number of both unbaffle and U-shaped baffle mixing systems decreases compared with the standard baffle mixing system in the transition flow.Finally,at the same rotational condition,the dimensionless mixing time of the U-shaped baffle mixing system is 15.3%and 7.9%shorter than that of the standard baffle and the unbaffle mixing system,respectively,which shows the advantage of the U-shaped baffle in stirring rate.

A Multiscale Reliability-Based Design Optimization Method for Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Composite Drive Shafts

Carbon fiber composites,characterized by their high specific strength and low weight,are becoming increasingly crucial in automotive lightweighting.However,current research primarily emphasizes layer count and orientation,often neglecting the potential of microstructural design,constraints in the layup process,and performance reliability.This study,therefore,introduces a multiscale reliability-based design optimization method for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic(CFRP)drive shafts.Initially,parametric modeling of the microscale cell was performed,and its elastic performance parameters were predicted using two homogenization methods,examining the impact of fluctuations in microscale cell parameters on composite material performance.A finite element model of the CFRP drive shaft was then constructed,achieving parameter transfer between microscale and macroscale through Python programming.This enabled an investigation into the influence of both micro and macro design parameters on the CFRP drive shaft’s performance.The Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO)algorithm was enhanced for particle generation and updating strategies,facilitating the resolution of multi-objective reliability optimization problems,including composite material layup process constraints.Case studies demonstrated that this approach leads to over 30%weight reduction in CFRP drive shafts compared to metallic counterparts while satisfying reliability requirements and offering insights for the lightweight design of other vehicle components.

Early Treatment Outcome of Humeral Shaft Fracture Non-Union in Adults: Comparative Study of Plating versus Interlocking Nailing

Background: Fractures of humeral shaft in adults are common injuries. Humeral shafts non-union either from late presentation after initial treatment by traditional bone setters or failed non-operative orthodox care is a major problem in this part of the world. This non-union is a major treatment challenge with increased cost of care and morbidity in this part of the world. Humeral shaft non-union can be treated with locked intra-medullary nailing (LIMN) or dynamic compression plating (DCP). Study on comparison of these methods of fixation in this part of the world is scarce in literature search, hence the reason for this study. Objective: The objectives of this study are: (1) to compare early clinical outcome following fixation of humeral shaft fracture nonunion with DCP versus LIMN;(2) to compare the time of radiologic fracture union of DCP with LIMN;(3) to compare complications following fixation of humeral shaft fracture nonunion with DCP versus LIMN. Patients and Methods: This was a randomized control study done for 2 years in which fifty adult patients with humeral shaft non-union were recruited. The patients were grouped into 2 (P = DCP & N = LIMN). Forty five of the patients completed the follow up periods of the study and then analyzed. The P group had ORIF with DCP while the N group had ORIF with LIMN. Both groups had grafting with cancellous bones. Each patient was followed up for a period of 6 months at the time which radiographic union is expected. Any patient without clinical and/or radiographic evidence of union after six months of surgery was diagnosed as having recurrent non-union. The data generated was analyzed using SPSS Version 23. The results were presented in charts and tables. The paired t-test was used while considering p value Result: Forty five patients completed follow up. There was a male preponderance (4:1), right humerus predominated (3:2). Motor vehicular accidents were the commonest cause of the fractures (62%). Most non-union fractures occurred at the level of the middle 3rd of the humeral shaft (60%). Failed TBS treatment was the commonest indication for the osteosynthesis (71%). More patients had plating (53%) compared to 47% who had LIMN. Most patients (93.4%) had union between 3 to 6 months irrespective of fixation type with no significant statistical difference between the union rate of DCP and LIMN (p value 0.06) with similar functional outcome and complication rates irrespective of the type of fixation. Conclusion: This study showed that the success rates in term of fracture union, outcome functional grades and complication rates were not directly dependent on the types of the fixation: plating or locked intra-medullary nailing.

Clinical effect of operative vs nonoperative treatment on humeral shaft fractures:Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

BACKGROUND Whether operation is superior to non-operation for humeral shaft fracture remains debatable.We hypothesized that operation could decrease the nonunion and reintervention rates and increase the functional outcomes.AIM To compare the clinical efficacy between operative and nonoperative approaches for humeral shaft fractures.METHODS We searched the PubMed,Web of Science,ScienceDirect,and Cochrane databases from 1990 to December 2023 for clinical trials and cohort studies comparing the effects of operative and conservative methods on humeral shaft fractures.Two investigators independently extracted data from the eligible studies,and the other two assessed the methodological quality of each study.The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk bias or Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.The nonunion,reintervention and the overall complications and functional scores were pooled and analyzed using Review Manager software(version 5.3).RESULTS A total of four randomized control trials and 13 cohort studies were included,with 1285 and 1346 patients in the operative and nonoperative groups,respectively.Patients in the operative group were treated with a plate or nail,whereas those in the conservative group were managed with splint or functional bracing.Four studies were assessed as having a high risk of bias,and the other 13 were of a low risk of bias according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or Cochrane risk bias tool.The operative group had a significantly decreased rate of nonunion[odds ratio(OR)0.30;95%CI:0.23 to 0.40,reintervention(OR:0.33;95%CI:0.24 to 0.47),and overall complications(OR:0.62;95%CI:0.49 to 0.78)].The pooled effect of the Disabilities of Arm,Shoulder,and Hand score showed a significant difference at 3[mean difference(MD)-8.26;95%CI:-13.60 to-2.92],6(MD:-6.72;95%CI:-11.34 to-2.10),and 12 months(MD:-2.55;95%CI:-4.36 to-0.74).The pooled effect of Visual Analog Scale scores and the Constant-Murley score did not significantly differ between the two groups.CONCLUSION This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a trend of rapid functional recovery and decreased rates of nonunion and reintervention after operation for humeral shaft fracture compared to conservative treatment.

Functional Outcomes of Adult Tibia Shaft Fractures Treated with Solid Intramedullary Nails versus Hollow Nails: A Systematic Review

Introduction: The management of fractures of the tibia shaft is an important aspect of orthopaedic care, and the selection of the surgical method for fixation can substantially impact patient outcomes. The current review aims to compare the outcomes of adult tibia fractures treated with solid nails to those treated with hollow nails. Methods: A search on Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Library, using three keywords (Outcome, Tibia shaft fractures, Nail) was conducted in April 2023. Results were compiled and two independent reviewers screened and selected eligible articles After removing duplicates, titles and abstracts were read to exclude ineligible studies. Full-text articles of the remaining papers were read to select eligible studies which were further critically appraised to ascertain their methodological quality. The data extracted from the selected papers were synthesized using a combination of pooling of results, tests of statistical difference (t-test and chi-square) and narrative synthesis methods. Results: A total of 2295 articles were obtained from the databases and citation searching. A total of 9 papers were identified as eligible and included in the review. Findings revealed that there is no statistical difference in the outcomes of tibia fractures treated with either solid or hollow nail groups such as duration of surgery (p = 0.541), rate of delayed and non-union (p = 0.342), and rate of surgical site infections (p = 0.395). Conclusion: Intramedullary nailing of tibia shaft fractures with either solid or hollow nails have similar functional outcomes.

Beyond p-y method:A review of artificial intelligence approaches for predicting lateral capacity of drilled shafts in clayey soils

In 2023,pivotal advancements in artificial intelligence(AI)have significantly experienced.With that in mind,traditional methodologies,notably the p-y approach,have struggled to accurately model the complex,nonlinear soil-structure interactions of laterally loaded large-diameter drilled shafts.This study undertakes a rigorous evaluation of machine learning(ML)and deep learning(DL)techniques,offering a comprehensive review of their application in addressing this geotechnical challenge.A thorough review and comparative analysis have been carried out to investigate various AI models such as artificial neural networks(ANNs),relevance vector machines(RVMs),and least squares support vector machines(LSSVMs).It was found that despite ML approaches outperforming classic methods in predicting the lateral behavior of piles,their‘black box'nature and reliance only on a data-driven approach made their results showcase statistical robustness rather than clear geotechnical insights,a fact underscored by the mathematical equations derived from these studies.Furthermore,the research identified a gap in the availability of drilled shaft datasets,limiting the extendibility of current findings to large-diameter piles.An extensive dataset,compiled from a series of lateral loading tests on free-head drilled shaft with varying properties and geometries,was introduced to bridge this gap.The paper concluded with a direction for future research,proposes the integration of physics-informed neural networks(PINNs),combining data-driven models with fundamental geotechnical principles to improve both the interpretability and predictive accuracy of AI applications in geotechnical engineering,marking a novel contribution to the field.

Analysis of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for 5G

The major challenge faced by the fifth generation(5G) mobile network is higher spectral efficiency and massive connectivity,i.e.,the target spectrum efficiency is 3 times over 4G,and the target connection density is one million devices per square kilometer.These requirements are difficult to be satisfied with orthogonal multiple access(OMA) schemes.Non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA) has thus been proposed as a promising candidate to address some of the challenges for 5G.In this paper,a comprehensive survey of different candidate NOMA schemes for 5G is presented,where the usage scenarios of5 G and the application requirements for NOMA are firstly discussed.A general framework of NOMA scheme is established and the features of typical NOMA schemes are analyzed and compared.We focus on the recent progress and challenge of NOMA in standardization of international telecommunication union(ITU),and 3rd generation partnership project(3GPP).In addition,prototype development and future research directions are also provided respectively.

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access in Cell-Free Massive MIMO Networks

In this paper, we investigate the downlink performance of cell-free massive multi-input multi-output non-orthogonal multiple access(CF-m MIMO-NOMA) system with conjugate beamforming precoder and compare against the orthogonal multiple access(OMA) counterpart. A novel achievable closed-form spectral efficiency(SE) expression is derived, which characterizes the effects of the channel estimation error, pilot contamination, imperfect successive interference cancellation(SIC) operation, and power optimization technique. Then, motivated by the closedform result, a sum-SE maximization algorithm with the sequential convex approximation(SCA) is proposed, subject to each AP power constraint and SIC power constraint. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed sum-SE maximization algorithms have a fast converge rate, within about five iterations. In addition, compared with the full power control(FPC) scheme, our algorithms can significantly improve the achievable sum-SE. Moreover, NOMA outperforms OMA in many respects in the presence of the proposed algorithms.

Development of practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool with non-orthogonal rotary axes

In order to develop a practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool,the general equations of numerically controlled(NC) data for 5-axis configurations with non-orthogonal rotary axes were exactly expressed by the inverse kinematics,and a windows-based postprocessor written with Visual Basic was developed according to the proposed algorithm.The developed postprocessor is a general system suitable for all kinds of 5-axis machines with orthogonal and non-orthogonal rotary axes.Through implementation of the developed postprocessor and verification by a cutting simulation and machining experiment,the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is confirmed.Compatibility is improved by allowing exchange of data formats such as rotational total center position(RTCP) controlled NC data,vector post NC data,and program object file(POF) cutter location(CL) data,and convenience is increased by adding the function of work-piece origin offset.Consequently,a practical post-processor for 5-axis machining is developed.

Outage Performance of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Based Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Satellite Networks

With rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs), more and more UAVs access satellite networks for data transmission. To improve the spectral efficiency, non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA) is adopted to integrate UAVs into the satellite network, where multiple satellites cooperatively serve the UAVs and mobile terminal using the Ku-band and above. Taking into account the rain fading and the fading correlation, the outage performance is first analytically obtained for fixed power allocation and then efficiently calculated by the proposed power allocation algorithm to guarantee the user fairness. Simulation results verify the outage performance analysis and show the performance improvement of the proposed power allocation scheme.

A Survey: Several Technologies of Non-Orthogonal Transmission for 5G

One key advantage of 4G OFDM system is the relatively simple receiver implementation due to the orthogonal resource allocation.However,from sum-capacity and spectral efficiency points of view,orthogonal systems are never the achieving schemes.With the rapid development of mobile communication systems,a novel concept of non-orthogonal transmission for 5G mobile communications has attracted researches all around the world.In this trend,many new multiple access schemes and waveform modulation technologies were proposed.In this paper,some promising ones of them were discussed which include Non-orthogonal Multiple Access(NOMA),Sparse Code Multiple Access(SCMA),Multi-user Shared Access(MUSA),Pattern Division Multiple Access(PDMA)and some main new waveforms including Filter-bank based Multicarrier(FBMC),Universal Filtered Multi-Carrier(UFMC),Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing(GFDM).By analyzing and comparing features of these technologies,a research direction of guiding on future 5G multiple access and waveform are given.

Frameworks of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Techniques in Cognitive Radio Communication Systems

Recently,the increasing demand of radio spectrum for the next generation communication systems due to the explosive growth of applications appetite for bandwidths has led to the problem of spectrum scarcity.The potential approaches among the proposed solutions to resolve this issue are well explored cognitive radio(CR)technology and recently introduced non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA)techniques.Both the techniques are employed for efficient spectrum utilization and assure the significant improvement in the spectral efficiency.Further,the significant improvement in spectral efficiency can be achieved by combining both the techniques.Since the CR is well-explored technique as compared to that of the NOMA in the field of communication,therefore it is worth and wise to implement this technique over the CR.In this article,we have presented the frameworks of NOMA implementation over CR as well as the feasibility of proposed frameworks.Further,the differences between proposed CR-NOMA and conventional CR frameworks are discussed.Finally,the potential issues regarding the implementation of CR-NOMA are explored.

Practical non-orthogonal decoy state quantum key distribution with heralded single photon source

Recently the performance of the quantum key distribution （QKD） is substantially improved by the decoy state method and the non-orthogonal encoding protocol, separately. In this paper, a practical non-orthogonal decoy state protocol with a heralded single photon source （HSPS） for QKD is presented. The protocol is based on 4 states with different intensities. i.e. one signal state and three decoy states. The signal state is for generating keys; the decoy states are for detecting the eavesdropping and estimating the fraction of single-photon and two-photon pulses. We have discussed three cases of this protocol, i.e. the general case, the optimal case and the special case. Moreover, the final key rate over transmission distance is simulated. For the low dark count of the HSPS and the utilization of the two-photon pulses, our protocol has a higher key rate and a longer transmission distance than any other decoy state protocol.

Symbol Error Rate Performance Analysis of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for Visible Light Communications

Non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA) is considered as one of promising radio access techniques for visible light communications(VLC) in next-generation wireless communications systems.In order to provide theoretical support for designing VLC-NOMA,we derive its analytic expressions for the symbol error rate(SER).Specifically,NOMA is first incorporated with appropriate VLC to establish a VLC-NOMA framework.Afterwards,mathematical expressions of the SER for the VLC-NOMA are developed.Moreover,numerical results are provided carefully to demonstrate that the proposed VLC-NOMA scheme outperforms than state-of-the-art orthogonal frequency division multiple access(OFDMA) one in terms of SER performance.Finally,relationships between the SER performance and the number of users,power allocation coefficient and semi-angle are well investigated,which can give us a scientific guide to devise the VLC-NOMA system for achieving better SER performance.

3D Numerical Simulation of Overbank Flow in Non-Orthogonal Curvilinear Coordinates

The velocity field in meandering compound channels with overhank flow is highly three dimensional. To date, its features have been investigated experimentally and little research has been undertaken to investigate the feasibility of reproducing these velocity fields with computer models. If computer modeling were to prove successful in this context, it could become a useful prediction technique and research tool to enhance our understanding of natural river dynamics. A 3-D k-E turbulence hydrodynamic model in curvilinear coordinates is established to simulate the overhank flow. The bodyfitted coordinate is adopted in the horizontal plane, the part grid is adopted in the vertical direction, and the wall-function method is employed to simulate the bed resistance. The model is applied to the simulation of the meandering channel with straight flood plain banks, and the main velocities and secondary velocities for both the longitudinal and cross sections are presented. Comparison and analysis show that the results of simulation are fit to reflect the results of experiment. These results show the application value of the model to 3D overhank flow.

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Schemes for 5G

Multiple access scheme is one of the key techniques in wireless communication systems. Each generation of wireless communica-tion is featured by a new multiple access scheme from 1G to 4G. In this article we review several non-orthogonal multiple access schemes for 5G. Their principles, advantages and disadvantages are discussed, and followed by a comprehensive comparison of these solutions from the perspective of user overload, receiver type, receiver complexity and so on. We also discuss the applica-tion challenges of non-orthogonal multiple access schemes in 5G.

A Survey of Downlink Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for 5G Wireless Communication Networks

Non-orthogonal multiple access （NOMA） has been recognized as a promising multiple access technique for the next generation cel-lular communication networks. In this paper, we first discuss a simple NOMA model with two users served by a single-carrier si-multaneously to illustrate its basic principles. Then, a more general model with multicarrier serving an arbitrary number of users on each subcarrier is also discussed. An overview of existing works on performance analysis, resource allocation, and multiple-in-put multiple-output NOMA are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, we discuss the key features of NOMA and its potential re-search challenges.

Non-Orthogonal Multi-Carrier Transmission for Internet via Satellite

As the important complementary to terrestrial mobile communications, Internet via satellite can extend the coverage of communication and improve the continuity of data services. To build a space-terrestrial integrated communication system is the inevitable trend in the future. Taking into account combination of 5th generation(5G) terrestrial mobile communication system and satellite communication system, it is necessary to evaluate the promising 5G air interface waveform which can be adopted by satellite. In this paper, several non-orthogonal multi-carrier transmission schemes are evaluated and generalized frequency division multiplexing(GFDM) is advised as potential scheme of space-terrestrial integrated communication system. After the overview of GFDM, the implementation of GFDM transceiver is discussed respectively in time-domain and in frequency-domain. By deriving and comparing implementation complexity, GFDM modulation in time-domain is more suitable for satellite communication system. Then the properties of demodulation algorithms are specified. Based on designed pilot subcarriers, a new improved receiving algorithm is proposed in the end of the paper. The improved algorithm solves the problem of inter subcarriers interference(ICI) in matched filtering(MF) receiver and improves the re-ceiving symbol error rate(SER) obviously. The simulation and analysis prove that the proposed algorithm is effective.

Secure Transmission in Downlink Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Based on Polar Codes

Non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA)is deemed to have a superior spectral efficiency and polar codes have became the channel coding scheme for control channel of enhanced mobile broadband(eMBB)in the fifth generation(5G)communication systems.In this paper,NOMA combined with polar codes is used to achieve secure transmission.Both degraded wiretap channel and non-degraded wiretap channel are considered,where an eavesdropper intercepts the communication between base station(BS)and users.For the degraded wiretap channel scenario,a secure polar encoding scheme is proposed in NOMA systems with power allocation to achieve the maximum secrecy capacity.With regard to the nondegraded wiretap channel,a polar encoding scheme with multiple-input-single-output(MISO)system is proposed,where artificial noise is generated at BS to confuse the eavesdropper’s channel via transmit beamforming.The security and the secure rate are employed respectively in order to measure the secrecy performance.We prove that the proposed schemes for each scenario can achieve the secure rate and can transmit the signal securely and reliably.The simulation results show that the eavesdropper hardly decoding the secure signal when the legitimate receiver can decode the signal with very low block error rate(BLER).

Resource Allocation Based on User Pairing and Subcarrier Matching for Downlink Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Networks

The traditional orthogonal multiple access(OMA)is unable to satisfy the needs of large number of smart devices.To increase the transmission rate in the limited spectrum resource,implementation of both non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA)and successive interference cancelation(SIC)is essential.In this paper,an optimal resource allocation algorithm in NOMA is proposed to maximize the total system rate in a multi-sector multi-subcarrier relay-assisted communication network.Since the original problem is a non-convex problem with mixed integer programming which is non-deterministic polynomial-time(NP)-hard,a three-step solution is proposed to solve the primal problem.Firstly,we determine the optimal power allocation of the outer users by using the approach of monotonic discrimination,and then the optimal user pairing is determined.Secondly,the successive convex approximation(SCA)method is introduced to transform the non-convex problem involving central users into convex one,and the Lagrangian dual method is used to determine the optimal solution.Finally,the standard Hungarian algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal subcarrier matching.The simulation results show that resource allocation algorithm is able to meet the user performance requirements with NOMA,and the total system rate is improved compared to the existing algorithms.