Development of a toroidal soft x-ray imaging system and application for investigating three-dimensional plasma on J-TEXT

A toroidal soft x-ray imaging(T-SXRI)system has been developed to investigate threedimensional(3D)plasma physics on J-TEXT.This T-SXRI system consists of three sets of SXR arrays.Two sets are newly developed and located on the vacuum chamber wall at toroidal positionsφof 126.4°and 272.6°,respectively,while one set was established previously atφ=65.50.Each set of SXR arrays consists of three arrays viewing the plasma poloidally,and hence can be used separately to obtain SXR images via the tomographic method.The sawtooth precursor oscillations are measured by T-SXRI,and the corresponding images of perturbative SXR signals are successfully reconstructed at these three toroidal positions,hence providing measurement of the 3D structure of precursor oscillations.The observed 3D structure is consistent with the helical structure of the m/n=1/1 mode.The experimental observation confirms that the T-SXRI system is able to observe 3D structures in the J-TEXT plasma.

Computer-assisted three-dimensional individualized extreme liver resection for hepatoblastoma in proximity to the major liver vasculature

BACKGROUND The management of hepatoblastoma(HB)becomes challenging when the tumor remains in close proximity to the major liver vasculature(PMV)even after a full course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC).In such cases,extreme liver resection can be considered a potential option.AIM To explore whether computer-assisted three-dimensional individualized extreme liver resection is safe and feasible for children with HB who still have PMV after a full course of NAC.METHODS We retrospectively collected data from children with HB who underwent surgical resection at our center from June 2013 to June 2023.We then analyzed the detailed clinical and three-dimensional characteristics of children with HB who still had PMV after a full course of NAC.RESULTS Sixty-seven children diagnosed with HB underwent surgical resection.The age at diagnosis was 21.4±18.8 months,and 40 boys and 27 girls were included.Fifty-nine(88.1%)patients had a single tumor,39(58.2%)of which was located in the right lobe of the liver.A total of 47 patients(70.1%)had PRE-TEXT III or IV.Thirty-nine patients(58.2%)underwent delayed resection.After a full course of NAC,16 patients still had close PMV(within 1 cm in two patients,touching in 11 patients,compressing in four patients,and showing tumor thrombus in three patients).There were 6 patients of tumors in the middle lobe of the liver,and four of those patients exhibited liver anatomy variations.These 16 children underwent extreme liver resection after comprehensive preoperative evaluation.Intraoperative procedures were performed according to the preoperative plan,and the operations were successfully performed.Currently,the 3-year event-free survival of 67 children with HB is 88%.Among the 16 children who underwent extreme liver resection,three experienced recurrence,and one died due to multiple metastases.CONCLUSION Extreme liver resection for HB that is still in close PMV after a full course of NAC is both safe and feasible.This approach not only reduces the necessity for liver transplantation but also results in a favorable prognosis.Individualized three-dimensional surgical planning is beneficial for accurate and complete resection of HB,particularly for assessing vascular involvement,remnant liver volume and anatomical variations.

Computation Tree Logic Model Checking of Multi-Agent Systems Based on Fuzzy Epistemic Interpreted Systems

Model checking is an automated formal verification method to verify whether epistemic multi-agent systems adhere to property specifications.Although there is an extensive literature on qualitative properties such as safety and liveness,there is still a lack of quantitative and uncertain property verifications for these systems.In uncertain environments,agents must make judicious decisions based on subjective epistemic.To verify epistemic and measurable properties in multi-agent systems,this paper extends fuzzy computation tree logic by introducing epistemic modalities and proposing a new Fuzzy Computation Tree Logic of Knowledge(FCTLK).We represent fuzzy multi-agent systems as distributed knowledge bases with fuzzy epistemic interpreted systems.In addition,we provide a transformation algorithm from fuzzy epistemic interpreted systems to fuzzy Kripke structures,as well as transformation rules from FCTLK formulas to Fuzzy Computation Tree Logic(FCTL)formulas.Accordingly,we transform the FCTLK model checking problem into the FCTL model checking.This enables the verification of FCTLK formulas by using the fuzzy model checking algorithm of FCTL without additional computational overheads.Finally,we present correctness proofs and complexity analyses of the proposed algorithms.Additionally,we further illustrate the practical application of our approach through an example of a train control system.

Anomalous time-reversal symmetric non-Hermitian systems

The conditions for the emergence of the non-Hermitian skin effect, as a unique physical response of non-Hermitian systems, have now become one of the hot research topics. In this paper, we study the novel physical responses of nonHermitian systems with anomalous time-reversal symmetry, in both one dimension and two dimensions. Specifically, we focus on whether the systems will exhibit a non-Hermitian skin effect. We employ the theory of generalized Brillouin zone and also numerical methods to show that the anomalous time-reversal symmetry can prevent the skin effect in onedimensional non-Hermitian systems, but is unable to exert the same effectiveness in two-dimensional cases.

Conventional Geothermal Systems and Unconventional Geothermal Developments: An Overview

This paper provides an overview of conventional geothermal systems and unconventional geothermal developments as a common reference is needed for discussions between energy professionals. Conventional geothermal systems have the heat, permeability and fluid, requiring only drilling down to °C, normal heat flow or decaying radiogenic granite as heat sources, and used in district heating. Medium-temperature (MT) 100°C - 190°C, and high-temperature (HT) 190°C - 374°C resources are mostly at plate boundaries, with volcanic intrusive heat source, used mostly for electricity generation. Single well capacities are °C - 500°C) and a range of depths (1 m to 20 Km), but lack permeability or fluid, thus requiring stimulations for heat extraction by conduction. HVAC is 1 - 2 m deep and shallow geothermal down to 500 m in wells, both capturing °C, with °C are either advanced by geothermal developers at <7 Km depth (Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), drilling below brittle-ductile transition zones and under geothermal fields), or by the Oil & Gas industry (Advanced Geothermal Systems, heat recovery from hydrocarbon wells or reservoirs, Superhot Rock Geothermal, and millimeter-wave drilling down to 20 Km). Their primary aim is electricity generation, relying on closed-loops, but EGS uses fractures for heat exchange with earthquake risks during fracking. Unconventional approaches could be everywhere, with shallow geothermal already functional. The deeper and hotter unconventional alternatives are still experimental, overcoming costs and technological challenges to become fully commercial. Meanwhile, the conventional geothermal resources remain the most proven opportunities for investments and development.

Numerical simulation for the initial state of avalanche in polydisperse particle systems

Numerical simulation is employed to investigate the initial state of avalanche in polydisperse particle systems.Nucleation and propagation processes are illustrated for pentadisperse and triadisperse particle systems,respectively.In these processes,particles involved in the avalanche grow slowly in the early stage and explosively in the later stage,which is clearly different from the continuous and steady growth trend in the monodisperse system.By examining the avalanche propagation,the number growth of particles involved in the avalanche and the slope of the number growth,the initial state can be divided into three stages:T1(nucleation stage),T2(propagation stage),T3(overall avalanche stage).We focus on the characteristics of the avalanche in the T2 stage,and find that propagation distances increase almost linearly in both axial and radial directions in polydisperse systems.We also consider the distribution characteristics of the average coordination number and average velocity for the moving particles.The results support that the polydisperse particle systems are more stable in the T2 stage.

Quantum discord and its dynamics for multipartite systems

Quantum discord, one of the famous quantum correlations, has been recently generalized to multipartite systems by Radhakrishnan et al. Here we give analytical solutions of the quantum discord for a family of N-qubit quantum states. For the bipartite system, we derive a zero quantum discord which will remain unchanged under the phase damping channel. For multiparitite systems, it is found that the quantum discord can be classified into three categories and the quantum discord for odd-partite systems can exhibit freezing under the phase damping channel, while the freezing does not exist in the even-partite systems.

Analysis and Design of Time-Delay Impulsive Systems Subject to Actuator Saturation

This paper investigates the exponential stability and performance analysis of nonlinear time-delay impulsive systems subject to actuator saturation. When continuous dynamics is unstable, under some conditions, it is shown that the system can be stabilized by a class of saturated delayed-impulses regardless of the length of input delays. Conversely, when the system is originally stable, it is shown that under some conditions, the system is robust with respect to sufficient small delayed-impulses. Moreover, the design problem of the controller with the goal of obtaining a maximized estimate of the domain of attraction is formulated via a convex optimization problem. Three examples are provided to demonstrate the validity of the main results.

Observer-based dynamic event-triggered control for distributed parameter systems over mobile sensor-plus-actuator networks

We develop a policy of observer-based dynamic event-triggered state feedback control for distributed parameter systems over a mobile sensor-plus-actuator network.It is assumed that the mobile sensing devices that provide spatially averaged state measurements can be used to improve state estimation in the network.For the purpose of decreasing the update frequency of controller and unnecessary sampled data transmission, an efficient dynamic event-triggered control policy is constructed.In an event-triggered system, when an error signal exceeds a specified time-varying threshold, it indicates the occurrence of a typical event.The global asymptotic stability of the event-triggered closed-loop system and the boundedness of the minimum inter-event time can be guaranteed.Based on the linear quadratic optimal regulator, the actuator selects the optimal displacement only when an event occurs.A simulation example is finally used to verify that the effectiveness of such a control strategy can enhance the system performance.

Designing Proportional-Integral Consensus Protocols for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems Using Delayed and Memorized State Information

This paper is concerned with consensus of a secondorder linear time-invariant multi-agent system in the situation that there exists a communication delay among the agents in the network.A proportional-integral consensus protocol is designed by using delayed and memorized state information.Under the proportional-integral consensus protocol,the consensus problem of the multi-agent system is transformed into the problem of asymptotic stability of the corresponding linear time-invariant time-delay system.Note that the location of the eigenvalues of the corresponding characteristic function of the linear time-invariant time-delay system not only determines the stability of the system,but also plays a critical role in the dynamic performance of the system.In this paper,based on recent results on the distribution of roots of quasi-polynomials,several necessary conditions for Hurwitz stability for a class of quasi-polynomials are first derived.Then allowable regions of consensus protocol parameters are estimated.Some necessary and sufficient conditions for determining effective protocol parameters are provided.The designed protocol can achieve consensus and improve the dynamic performance of the second-order multi-agent system.Moreover,the effects of delays on consensus of systems of harmonic oscillators/double integrators under proportional-integral consensus protocols are investigated.Furthermore,some results on proportional-integral consensus are derived for a class of high-order linear time-invariant multi-agent systems.

Computed tomography three-dimensional reconstruction in the diagnosis of bleeding small intestinal polyps:A case report

BACKGROUND Computed tomography(CT)small bowel three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction is a powerful tool for the diagnosis of small bowel disease and can clearly show the intestinal lumen and wall as well as the outside structure of the wall.The horizontal axis position can show the best adjacent intestinal tube and the lesion between the intestinal tubes,while the coronal position can show the overall view of the small bowel.The ileal end of the localization of the display of excellent,and easy to quantitative measurement of the affected intestinal segments,the sagittal position for the rectum and the pre-sacral lesions show the best,for the discovery of fistulae is also helpful.Sagittal view can show rectal and presacral lesions and is useful for fistula detection.It is suitable for the assessment of inflammatory bowel disease,such as assessment of disease severity and diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the small bowel and mesenteric space-occupying lesions as well as the judgment of small bowel obstruction points.CASE SUMMARY Bleeding caused by small intestinal polyps is often difficult to diagnose in clinical practice.This study reports a 29-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital with black stool and abdominal pain for 3 months.Using the combination of CT-3D reconstruction and capsule endoscopy,the condition was diagnosed correctly,and the polyps were removed using single-balloon enteroscopyendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography without postoperative complications.CONCLUSION The role of CT-3D in gastrointestinal diseases was confirmed.CT-3D can assist in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in combination with capsule endoscopy and small intestinal microscopy.

A PID Tuning Approach for Inertial Systems Performance Optimization

In the practice of control the industrial processes, proportional-integral-derivative controller remains pivotal due to its simple structure and system performance-oriented tuning process. In this paper are presented two approaches for synthesis the proportional-integral-derivative controller to the models of objects with inertia, that offer the procedure of system performance optimization based on maximum stability degree criterion. The proposed algorithms of system performance optimization were elaborated for model of objects with inertia second and third order and offer simple analytical expressions for tuning the PID controller. Validation and verification are conducted through computer simulations using MATLAB, demonstrating successful performance optimization and showcasing the effectiveness PID controllers’ tuning. The proposed approaches contribute insights to the field of control, offering a pathway for optimizing the performance of second and third-order inertial systems through robust controller synthesis.

Research on Quantitative Identification of Three-Dimensional Connectivity of Fractured-Vuggy Reservoirs

The fractured-vuggy carbonate oil resources in the western basin of China are extremely rich.The connectivity of carbonate reservoirs is complex,and there is still a lack of clear understanding of the development and topological structure of the pore space in fractured-vuggy reservoirs.Thus,effective prediction of fractured-vuggy reservoirs is difficult.In view of this,this work employs adaptive point cloud technology to reproduce the shape and capture the characteristics of a fractured-vuggy reservoir.To identify the complex connectivity among pores,fractures,and vugs,a simplified one-dimensional connectivity model is established by using the meshless connection element method(CEM).Considering that different types of connection units have different flow characteristics,a sequential coupling calculation method that can efficiently calculate reservoir pressure and saturation is developed.By automatic history matching,the dynamic production data is fitted in real-time,and the characteristic parameters of the connection unit are inverted.Simulation results show that the three-dimensional connectivity model of the fractured-vuggy reservoir built in this work is as close as 90%of the fine grid model,while the dynamic simulation efficiency is much higher with good accuracy.

Hyperbolic Tangent Function-Based Protocols for Global/Semi-Global Finite-Time Consensus of Multi-Agent Systems

This paper investigates the problem of global/semi-global finite-time consensus for integrator-type multi-agent sys-tems.New hyperbolic tangent function-based protocols are pro-posed to achieve global and semi-global finite-time consensus for both single-integrator and double-integrator multi-agent systems with leaderless undirected and leader-following directed commu-nication topologies.These new protocols not only provide an explicit upper-bound estimate for the settling time,but also have a user-prescribed bounded control level.In addition,compared to some existing results based on the saturation function,the pro-posed approach considerably simplifies the protocol design and the stability analysis.Illustrative examples and an application demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocols.

Reinforcement learning based adaptive control for uncertain mechanical systems with asymptotic tracking

This paper mainly focuses on the development of a learning-based controller for a class of uncertain mechanical systems modeled by the Euler-Lagrange formulation.The considered system can depict the behavior of a large class of engineering systems,such as vehicular systems,robot manipulators and satellites.All these systems are often characterized by highly nonlinear characteristics,heavy modeling uncertainties and unknown perturbations,therefore,accurate-model-based nonlinear control approaches become unavailable.Motivated by the challenge,a reinforcement learning(RL)adaptive control methodology based on the actor-critic framework is investigated to compensate the uncertain mechanical dynamics.The approximation inaccuracies caused by RL and the exogenous unknown disturbances are circumvented via a continuous robust integral of the sign of the error(RISE)control approach.Different from a classical RISE control law,a tanh(·)function is utilized instead of a sign(·)function to acquire a more smooth control signal.The developed controller requires very little prior knowledge of the dynamic model,is robust to unknown dynamics and exogenous disturbances,and can achieve asymptotic output tracking.Eventually,co-simulations through ADAMS and MATLAB/Simulink on a three degrees-of-freedom(3-DOF)manipulator and experiments on a real-time electromechanical servo system are performed to verify the performance of the proposed approach.

Computing large deviation prefactors of stochastic dynamical systems based on machine learning

We present a large deviation theory that characterizes the exponential estimate for rare events in stochastic dynamical systems in the limit of weak noise.We aim to consider a next-to-leading-order approximation for more accurate calculation of the mean exit time by computing large deviation prefactors with the aid of machine learning.More specifically,we design a neural network framework to compute quasipotential,most probable paths and prefactors based on the orthogonal decomposition of a vector field.We corroborate the higher effectiveness and accuracy of our algorithm with two toy models.Numerical experiments demonstrate its powerful functionality in exploring the internal mechanism of rare events triggered by weak random fluctuations.

Application of three-dimensional speckle tracking technique in measuring left ventricular myocardial function in patients with diabetes

BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy is considered as a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus(DM).Therefore,early detection of left ventricular systolic function(LVSF)damage in DM is essential.AIM To explore the use of the three-dimensional speckle tracking technique(3D-STI)for measuring LVSF in DM patients via meta-analysis.METHODS The electronic databases were retrieved from the initial accessible time to 29 April 2023.The current study involved 9 studies,including 970 subjects.We carried out this meta-analysis to estimate myocardial function in DM compared with controls according to myocardial strain attained by 3D-STI.RESULTS Night articles including 970 subjects were included.No significant difference was detected in the left ventricular ejection fraction between the control and the diabetic group(P>0.05),while differences in global longitudinal strain,global circumferential strain,global radial strain,and global area strain were markedly different between the controls and DM patients(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The 3D-STI could be applied to accurately measure early LVSF damage in patients with DM.

A Novel High-Efficiency Transaction Verification Scheme for Blockchain Systems

Blockchain can realize the reliable storage of a large amount of data that is chronologically related and verifiable within the system.This technology has been widely used and has developed rapidly in big data systems across various fields.An increasing number of users are participating in application systems that use blockchain as their underlying architecture.As the number of transactions and the capital involved in blockchain grow,ensuring information security becomes imperative.Addressing the verification of transactional information security and privacy has emerged as a critical challenge.Blockchain-based verification methods can effectively eliminate the need for centralized third-party organizations.However,the efficiency of nodes in storing and verifying blockchain data faces unprecedented challenges.To address this issue,this paper introduces an efficient verification scheme for transaction security.Initially,it presents a node evaluation module to estimate the activity level of user nodes participating in transactions,accompanied by a probabilistic analysis for all transactions.Subsequently,this paper optimizes the conventional transaction organization form,introduces a heterogeneous Merkle tree storage structure,and designs algorithms for constructing these heterogeneous trees.Theoretical analyses and simulation experiments conclusively demonstrate the superior performance of this scheme.When verifying the same number of transactions,the heterogeneous Merkle tree transmits less data and is more efficient than traditional methods.The findings indicate that the heterogeneous Merkle tree structure is suitable for various blockchain applications,including the Internet of Things.This scheme can markedly enhance the efficiency of information verification and bolster the security of distributed systems.

Enhancing Healthcare Data Security and Disease Detection Using Crossover-Based Multilayer Perceptron in Smart Healthcare Systems

The healthcare data requires accurate disease detection analysis,real-timemonitoring,and advancements to ensure proper treatment for patients.Consequently,Machine Learning methods are widely utilized in Smart Healthcare Systems(SHS)to extract valuable features fromheterogeneous and high-dimensional healthcare data for predicting various diseases and monitoring patient activities.These methods are employed across different domains that are susceptible to adversarial attacks,necessitating careful consideration.Hence,this paper proposes a crossover-based Multilayer Perceptron(CMLP)model.The collected samples are pre-processed and fed into the crossover-based multilayer perceptron neural network to detect adversarial attacks on themedical records of patients.Once an attack is detected,healthcare professionals are promptly alerted to prevent data leakage.The paper utilizes two datasets,namely the synthetic dataset and the University of Queensland Vital Signs(UQVS)dataset,from which numerous samples are collected.Experimental results are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed CMLP model,utilizing various performancemeasures such as Recall,Precision,Accuracy,and F1-score to predict patient activities.Comparing the proposed method with existing approaches,it achieves the highest accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-score.Specifically,the proposedmethod achieves a precision of 93%,an accuracy of 97%,an F1-score of 92%,and a recall of 92%.

Evaluating the use of three-dimensional reconstruction visualization technology for precise laparoscopic resection in gastroesophageal junction cancer

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction(EGJ)carcinoma enables the removal of the carcinoma at the junction between the stomach and esophagus while preserving the gastric function,thereby providing patients with better treatment outcomes and quality of life.Nonetheless,this surgical technique also presents some challenges and limitations.Therefore,three-dimensional reconstruction visualization technology(3D RVT)has been introduced into the procedure,providing doctors with more comprehensive and intuitive anatomical information that helps with surgical planning,navigation,and outcome evaluation.AIM To discuss the application and advantages of 3D RVT in precise laparoscopic resection of EGJ carcinomas.METHODS Data were obtained from the electronic or paper-based medical records at The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2020 to June 2022.A total of 120 patients diagnosed with EGJ carcinoma were included in the study.Of these,68 underwent laparoscopic resection after computed tomography(CT)-enhanced scanning and were categorized into the 2D group,whereas 52 underwent laparoscopic resection after CT-enhanced scanning and 3D RVT and were categorized into the 3D group.This study had two outcome measures:the deviation between tumor-related factors(such as maximum tumor diameter and infiltration length)in 3D RVT and clinical reality,and surgical outcome indicators(such as operative time,intraoperative blood loss,number of lymph node dissections,R0 resection rate,postoperative hospital stay,postoperative gas discharge time,drainage tube removal time,and related complications)between the 2D and 3D groups.RESULTS Among patients included in the 3D group,27 had a maximum tumor diameter of less than 3 cm,whereas 25 had a diameter of 3 cm or more.In actual surgical observations,24 had a diameter of less than 3 cm,whereas 28 had a diameter of 3 cm or more.The findings were consistent between the two methods(χ^(2)=0.346,P=0.556),with a kappa consistency coefficient of 0.808.With respect to infiltration length,in the 3D group,23 patients had a length of less than 5 cm,whereas 29 had a length of 5 cm or more.In actual surgical observations,20 cases had a length of less than 5 cm,whereas 32 had a length of 5 cm or more.The findings were consistent between the two methods(χ^(2)=0.357,P=0.550),with a kappa consistency coefficient of 0.486.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the maximum tumor diameter and infiltration length measured using 3D RVT were positively correlated with clinical observations during surgery(r=0.814 and 0.490,both P<0.05).The 3D group had a shorter operative time(157.02±8.38 vs 183.16±23.87),less intraoperative blood loss(83.65±14.22 vs 110.94±22.05),and higher number of lymph node dissections(28.98±2.82 vs 23.56±2.77)and R0 resection rate(80.77%vs 61.64%)than the 2D group.Furthermore,the 3D group had shorter hospital stay[8(8,9)vs 13(14,16)],time to gas passage[3(3,4)vs 4(5,5)],and drainage tube removal time[4(4,5)vs 6(6,7)]than the 2D group.The complication rate was lower in the 3D group(11.54%)than in the 2D group(26.47%)(χ^(2)=4.106,P<0.05).CONCLUSION Using 3D RVT,doctors can gain a more comprehensive and intuitive understanding of the anatomy and related lesions of EGJ carcinomas,thus enabling more accurate surgical planning.