Multisensory mechanisms of gait and balance in Parkinson’s disease:an integrative review

Understanding the neural underpinning of human gait and balance is one of the most pertinent challenges for 21st-century translational neuroscience due to the profound impact that falls and mobility disturbances have on our aging population.Posture and gait control does not happen automatically,as previously believed,but rather requires continuous involvement of central nervous mechanisms.To effectively exert control over the body,the brain must integrate multiple streams of sensory information,including visual,vestibular,and somatosensory signals.The mechanisms which underpin the integration of these multisensory signals are the principal topic of the present work.Existing multisensory integration theories focus on how failure of cognitive processes thought to be involved in multisensory integration leads to falls in older adults.Insufficient emphasis,however,has been placed on specific contributions of individual sensory modalities to multisensory integration processes and cross-modal interactions that occur between the sensory modalities in relation to gait and balance.In the present work,we review the contributions of somatosensory,visual,and vestibular modalities,along with their multisensory intersections to gait and balance in older adults and patients with Parkinson’s disease.We also review evidence of vestibular contributions to multisensory temporal binding windows,previously shown to be highly pertinent to fall risk in older adults.Lastly,we relate multisensory vestibular mechanisms to potential neural substrates,both at the level of neurobiology(concerning positron emission tomography imaging)and at the level of electrophysiology(concerning electroencephalography).We hope that this integrative review,drawing influence across multiple subdisciplines of neuroscience,paves the way for novel research directions and therapeutic neuromodulatory approaches,to improve the lives of older adults and patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Hybrid model for BOF oxygen blowing time prediction based on oxygen balance mechanism and deep neural network

The amount of oxygen blown into the converter is one of the key parameters for the control of the converter blowing process,which directly affects the tap-to-tap time of converter. In this study, a hybrid model based on oxygen balance mechanism (OBM) and deep neural network (DNN) was established for predicting oxygen blowing time in converter. A three-step method was utilized in the hybrid model. First, the oxygen consumption volume was predicted by the OBM model and DNN model, respectively. Second, a more accurate oxygen consumption volume was obtained by integrating the OBM model and DNN model. Finally, the converter oxygen blowing time was calculated according to the oxygen consumption volume and the oxygen supply intensity of each heat. The proposed hybrid model was verified using the actual data collected from an integrated steel plant in China, and compared with multiple linear regression model, OBM model, and neural network model including extreme learning machine, back propagation neural network, and DNN. The test results indicate that the hybrid model with a network structure of 3 hidden layer layers, 32-16-8 neurons per hidden layer, and 0.1 learning rate has the best prediction accuracy and stronger generalization ability compared with other models. The predicted hit ratio of oxygen consumption volume within the error±300 m^(3)is 96.67%;determination coefficient (R^(2)) and root mean square error (RMSE) are0.6984 and 150.03 m^(3), respectively. The oxygen blow time prediction hit ratio within the error±0.6 min is 89.50%;R2and RMSE are0.9486 and 0.3592 min, respectively. As a result, the proposed model can effectively predict the oxygen consumption volume and oxygen blowing time in the converter.

Harmonic balance simulation of the influence of component uniformity and reliability on the performance of a Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifier

A Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifier(JTWPA),which is a quantum-limited amplifier with high gain and large bandwidth,is the core device of large-scale measurement and control systems for quantum computing.A typical JTWPA consists of thousands of Josephson junctions connected in series to form a transmission line and hundreds of shunt LC resonators periodically loaded along the line for phase matching.Because the variation of these capacitors and inductors can be detrimental to their high-frequency characteristics,the fabrication of a JTWPA typically necessitates precise processing equipment.To guide the fabrication process and further improve the design for manufacturability,it is necessary to understand how each electronic component affects the amplifier.In this paper,we use the harmonic balance method to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of nonuniformity and fabrication yield of the electronic components on the performance of a JTWPA.The results provide insightful and scientific guidance for device design and fabrication processes.

Euler’s First-Order Explicit Method–Peridynamic Differential Operator for Solving Population Balance Equations of the Crystallization Process

Using Euler’s first-order explicit(EE)method and the peridynamic differential operator(PDDO)to discretize the time and internal crystal-size derivatives,respectively,the Euler’s first-order explicit method–peridynamic differential operator(EE–PDDO)was obtained for solving the one-dimensional population balance equation in crystallization.Four different conditions during crystallization were studied:size-independent growth,sizedependent growth in a batch process,nucleation and size-independent growth,and nucleation and size-dependent growth in a continuous process.The high accuracy of the EE–PDDO method was confirmed by comparing it with the numerical results obtained using the second-order upwind and HR-van methods.The method is characterized by non-oscillation and high accuracy,especially in the discontinuous and sharp crystal size distribution.The stability of the EE–PDDO method,choice of weight function in the PDDO method,and optimal time step are also discussed.

Rolling Decision Model of Thermal Power Retrofit and Generation Expansion Planning Considering Carbon Emissions and Power Balance Risk

With the increasing urgency of the carbon emission reduction task,the generation expansion planning process needs to add carbon emission risk constraints,in addition to considering the level of power adequacy.However,methods for quantifying and assessing carbon emissions and operational risks are lacking.It results in excessive carbon emissions and frequent load-shedding on some days,although meeting annual carbon emission reduction targets.First,in response to the above problems,carbon emission and power balance risk assessment indicators and assessment methods,were proposed to quantify electricity abundance and carbon emission risk level of power planning scenarios,considering power supply regulation and renewable energy fluctuation characteristics.Secondly,building on traditional two-tier models for low-carbon power planning,including investment decisions and operational simulations,considering carbon emissions and power balance risks in lower-tier operational simulations,a two-tier rolling model for thermal power retrofit and generation expansion planning was established.The model includes an investment tier and operation assessment tier and makes year-by-year decisions on the number of thermal power units to be retrofitted and the type and capacity of units to be commissioned.Finally,the rationality and validity of the model were verified through an example analysis,a small-scale power supply system in a certain region is taken as an example.The model can significantly reduce the number of days of carbon emissions risk and ensure that the power balance risk is within the safe limit.

Multi-Model Approach for Assessing the Influence of Calibration Criteria on the Water Balance in Ouémé Basin

Hydrological models are very useful tools for evaluating water resources, and the hydroclimatic hazards associated with the water cycle. However, their calibration and validation require the use of performance criteria which choice is not straightforward. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of the performance criteria on water balance components and water extremes using two global rainfall-runoff models (HBV and GR4J) over the Ouémé watershed at the Bonou and Savè outlets. Three (3) Efficacy criteria (Nash, coefficient of determination, and KGE) were considered for calibration and validation. The results show that the Nash criterion provides a good assessment of the simulation of the different parts of the hydrograph. KGE is better for simulating peak flows and water balance elements than other efficiency criteria. This study could serve as a basis for the choice of performance criteria in hydrological modelling.

Analyzing the Combination Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Motor Control Training on Balance Function and Gait in Patients with Stroke-Induced Hemiplegia

Objective:To analyze the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with motor control training on the treatment of stroke-induced hemiplegia,specifically focusing on the impact on patients’balance function and gait.Methods:Fifty-two cases of hemiplegic stroke patients were randomly divided into two groups,26 in the control group and 26 in the observation group,using computer-generated random grouping.All participants underwent conventional treatment and rehabilitation training.In addition to these,the control group received repetitive transcranial magnetic pseudo-stimulation therapy+motor control training,while the observation group received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy+motor control training.The balance function and gait parameters of both groups were compared before and after the interventions and assessed the satisfaction of the interventions in both groups.Results:Before the invention,there were no significant differences in balance function scores and each gait parameter between the two groups(P>0.05).However,after the intervention,the observation group showed higher balance function scores compared to the control group(P<0.05).The observation group also exhibited higher step speed and step frequency,longer step length,and a higher overall satisfaction level with the intervention compared to the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combination of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor control training in the treatment of stroke-induced hemiplegia has demonstrated positive effects.It not only improves the patient’s balance function and gait but also contributes to overall physical rehabilitation.

Research on Work-Life Balance of Female Employees

Nowadays,the pace of work and life is accelerating rapidly,accompanied by significant changes in work content and family structure.Enterprises and employees are encountering various pressures and conflicts.Female employees,in particular,are experiencing increasing pressure in both social labor and family affairs,resulting in ongoing conflicts between work and life.Achieving a balance between these two domains is crucial for female employees.This article aims to analyze the influencing factors of work-life balance for female employees and to propose useful strategies to help them improve it.

Model Predictive Control for Cascaded H-Bridge PV Inverter with Capacitor Voltage Balance

We designed an improved direct-current capacitor voltage balancing control model predictive control(MPC)for single-phase cascaded H-bridge multilevel photovoltaic(PV)inverters.Compared with conventional voltage balanc-ing control methods,the method proposed could make the PV strings of each submodule operate at their maximum power point by independent capacitor voltage control.Besides,the predicted and reference value of the grid-connected current was obtained according to the maximum power output of the maximum power point tracking.A cost function was con-structed to achieve the high-precision grid-connected control of the CHB inverter.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed control method was verified through a semi-physical simulation platform with three submodules.

Some Construction Methods of Optimum Chemical Balance Weighing Designs III

Methods of constructing the optimum chemical balance weighing designs from symmetric balanced incomplete block designs are proposed with illustration. As a by-product pairwise efficiency and variance balanced designs are also obtained.

A novel adaptive harmonic balance method with an asymptotic harmonic selection

The harmonic balance method(HBM)is one of the most widely used methods in solving nonlinear vibration problems,and its accuracy and computational efficiency largely depend on the number of the harmonics selected.The adaptive harmonic balance(AHB)method is an improved HBM method.This paper presents a modified AHB method with the asymptotic harmonic selection(AHS)procedure.This new harmonic selection procedure selects harmonics from the frequency spectra of nonlinear terms instead of estimating the contribution of each harmonic to the whole nonlinear response,by which the additional calculation is avoided.A modified continuation method is proposed to deal with the variable size of nonlinear algebraic equations at different values of path parameters,and then all solution branches of the amplitude-frequency response are obtained.Numerical experiments are carried out to verify the performance of the AHB-AHS method.Five typical nonlinear dynamic equations with different types of nonlinearities and excitations are chosen as the illustrative examples.Compared with the classical HBM and Runge-Kutta methods,the proposed AHB-AHS method is of higher accuracy and better convergence.The AHB-AHS method proposed in this paper has the potential to investigate the nonlinear vibrations of complex high-dimensional nonlinear systems.

Myricetin alleviates ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mice by regulating Th1/Th2 balance

Objective:To evaluate the effect of myricetin on ovalbumin(OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis in mice.Methods:Mice were sensitized and challenged using OVA(5%,500 mL)intraperitoneally and intranasally,respectively,on an alternative day for 14 days,followed by administration of myricetin(50,100,and 200 mg/kg)till day 21.Nasal symptoms,biochemical parameters,protein expressions,and histopathology were observed.Results:OVA-induced increased nasal symptoms including rubbing,sneezing,and discharge were significantly reduced by myricetin(100and 200 mg/kg)(P<0.05).Myricetin also protected against histamine challenge and attenuated elevated serum immunoglobulin E(IgE;total and OVA-specific),total IgG1,andβ-hexosaminidase levels,as well as leukotriene C4 and interleukins levels in nasal lavage fluid(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that myricetin significantly upregulated the protein expression of T-box expressed in T cells,while downregulating the protein expression of GATA binding protein 3,NF-κB,and IκB-α(P<0.05).Additionally,OVA-induced histopathological abberations in the nasal mucosa was markedly ameliorated by myricetin treatment(P<0.05).Conclusions:Myricetin exerts anti-allergic effects against OVAinduced allergic rhinitis via regulating Th1/Th2 balance.

Evaluation and prediction of earth pressure balance shield performance in complex rock strata:A case study in Dalian,China

This research explores the potential for the evaluation and prediction of earth pressure balance shield performance based on a gray system model.The research focuses on a shield tunnel excavated for Metro Line 2 in Dalian,China.Due to the large error between the initial geological exploration data and real strata,the project construction is extremely difficult.In view of the current situation regarding the project,a quantitative method for evaluating the tunneling efficiency was proposed using cutterhead rotation(R),advance speed(S),total thrust(F)and torque(T).A total of 80 datasets with three input parameters and one output variable(F or T)were collected from this project,and a prediction framework based gray system model was established.Based on the prediction model,five prediction schemes were set up.Through error analysis,the optimal prediction scheme was obtained from the five schemes.The parametric investigation performed indicates that the relationships between F and the three input variables in the gray system model harmonize with the theoretical explanation.The case shows that the shield tunneling performance and efficiency are improved by the tunneling parameter prediction model based on the gray system model.

Incentive-compatible and budget balanced AGV mechanism for peer-to-peer energy trading in smart grids

Peer-to-peer(P2P)energy trading refers to a type of decentralized transaction,where the energy from distributed energy resources is directly traded between peers.A key challenge in peer-to-peer energy trading is designing a safe,efficient,and transparent trading model and operating mechanism.In this study,we consider a P2P trading environment based on blockchain technology,where prosumers can submit bids or offers without knowing the reports of others.We propose an Arrow-d’Aspremont-Gerard-Varet(AGV)-based mechanism to encourage prosumers to submit their real reserve price and determine the P2P transaction price.We demonstrate that the AGV mechanism can achieve Bayesian incentive compatibility and budget balance.Kernel density estimation(KDE)is used to derive the prior distribution from the historical bid/offer information of the agents.Case studies are carried out to analyze and evaluate the proposed mechanism.Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism in guiding agents to report the true reserve price while maximizing social welfare.Moreover,we discuss the advantages of budget balance for decentralized trading by comparing the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves(VCG)and AGV mechanisms.

Analyzing geomorphological and topographical controls for the heterogeneous glacier mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayas

Glacier response patterns at the catchment scale are highly heterogeneous and defined by a complex interplay of various dynamics and surface factors.Previous studies have explained heterogeneous responses in qualitative ways but quantitative assessment is lacking yet where an intrazone homogeneous climate assumption can be valid.Hence,in the current study,the reason for heterogeneous mass balance has been explained in quantitative methods using a multiple linear regression model in the Sikkim Himalayan region.At first,the topographical parameters are selected from previously published studies,then the most significant topographical and geomorphological parameters are selected with backward stepwise subset selection methods.Finally,the contributions of selected parameters are calculated by least square methods.The results show that,the magnitude of mass balance lies between-0.003±0.24 to-1.029±0.24 m.w.e.a^(-1) between 2000 and 2020 in the Sikkim Himalaya region.Also,the study shows that,out of the terminus type of the glacier,glacier area,debris cover,ice-mixed debris,slope,aspect,mean elevation,and snout elevation of the glaciers,only the terminus type and mean elevation of the glacier are significantly altering the glacier mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayan region.Mathematically,the mass loss is approximately 0.40 m.w.e.a^(-1) higher in the lake-terminating glaciers compared to the land-terminating glaciers in the same elevation zone.On the other hand,a thousand meters mean elevation drop is associated with 0.179 m.w.e.a-1of mass loss despite the terminus type of the glaciers.In the current study,the model using the terminus type of the glaciers and the mean elevation of the glaciers explains 76% of fluctuation of mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayan region.

SimET: An open-source tool for estimating crop evapotranspiration and soil water balance for plants with multiple growth cycles

Accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration(ETc) and soil water balance, which is vital for optimizing water management strategy in crop production, can be performed by simulation. But existing software has many deficiencies, including complex operation, limited scalability, lack of batch processing, and a single ETc model. Here we present simET, an open-source software package written in the R programming language. Many concepts involved in crop ETc simulation are condensed into functions in the package. It includes three widely used crop ETc models built on these functions: the single-crop coefficient,double-crop coefficient, and Shuttleworth–Wallace models, along with tools for preparing model data and comparing estimates. SimET supports ETc simulation in crops with repeated growth cycles such as alfalfa, a perennial forage crop that is cut multiple times annually.

Identifying the critical phosphorus balance for optimizing phosphorus input and regulating soil phosphorus effectiveness in a typical winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in North China

Phosphorus(P)is a nonrenewable resource and a critical element for plant growth that plays an important role in improving crop yield.Excessive P fertilizer application is widespread in agricultural production,which not only wastes phosphate resources but also causes P accumulation and groundwater pollution.Here,we hypothesized that the apparent P balance of a crop system could be used as an indicator for identifying the critical P input in order to obtain a high yield with high phosphorus use efficiency(PUE).A 12-year field experiment with P fertilization rates of 0,45,90,135,180,and 225 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1)was conducted to determine the crop yield,PUE,and soil Olsen-P value response to P balance,and to optimize the P input.Annual yield stagnation occurred when the P fertilizer application exceeded a certain level,and high yield and PUE levels were achieved with annual P fertilizer application rates of 90-135 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1).A critical P balance range of 2.15-4.45 kg P ha^(-1)was recommended to achieve optimum yield with minimal environmental risk.The critical P input range estimated from the P balance was 95.7-101 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1),which improved relative yield(>90%)and PUE(90.0-94.9%).In addition,the P input-output balance helps in assessing future changes in Olsen-P values,which increased by 4.07 mg kg^(-1)of P for every 100 kg of P surplus.Overall,the P balance can be used as a critical indicator for P management in agriculture,providing a robust reference for limiting P excess and developing a more productive,efficient and environmentally friendly P fertilizer management strategy.

Adaptive delay-energy balanced partial offloading strategy in Mobile Edge Computing networks

Mobile Edge Computing(MEC)-based computation offloading is a promising application paradigm for serving large numbers of users with various delay and energy requirements.In this paper,we propose a flexible MECbased requirement-adaptive partial offloading model to accommodate each user's specific preference regarding delay and energy consumption.To address the dimensional differences between time and energy,we introduce two normalized parameters and then derive the computational overhead of processing tasks.Different from existing works,this paper considers practical variations in the user request patterns,and exploits a flexible partial offloading mode to minimize computation overheads subject to tolerable delay,task workload and power constraints.Since the resulting problem is non-convex,we decouple it into two convex subproblems and present an iterative algorithm to obtain a feasible offloading solution.Numerical experiments show that our proposed scheme achieves a significant improvement in computation overheads compared with existing schemes.

Regularity of Fluxes in Nonlinear Hyperbolic Balance Laws

This paper addresses the issue of the formulation of weak solutions to systems of nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws as integral balance laws.The basic idea is that the“meaningful objects”are the fluxes,evaluated across domain boundaries over time intervals.The fundamental result in this treatment is the regularity of the flux trace in the multi-dimensional setting.It implies that a weak solution indeed satisfies the balance law.In fact,it is shown that the flux is Lipschitz continuous with respect to suitable perturbations of the boundary.It should be emphasized that the weak solutions considered here need not be entropy solutions.Furthermore,the assumption imposed on the flux f(u)is quite minimal-just that it is locally bounded.

Harmonic Balance Methods:A Review and Recent Developments

The harmonic balance(HB)method is one of the most commonly used methods for solving periodic solutions of both weakly and strongly nonlinear dynamical systems.However,it is confined to low-order approximations due to complex symbolic operations.Many variants have been developed to improve the HB method,among which the time domain HB-like methods are regarded as crucial improvements because of their fast computation and simple derivation.So far,there are two problems remaining to be addressed.i)A dozen of different versions of HB-like methods,in frequency domain or time domain or in hybrid,have been developed;unfortunately,misclassification pervades among them due to the unclear borderlines of different methods.ii)The time domain HB-like methods suffer from non-physical solutions,which have been shown to be caused by aliasing(mixture of the high-order into the low-order harmonics).Although a series of dealiasing techniques have been developed over the past two decades,the mechanism of aliasing and the final solution to dealiasing are still not well known to the academic community.This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the development of HB-like methods and enunciate their principal differences.In particular,the time domain methods are emphasized with the famous aliasing phenomenon clearly addressed.