Identifying influential spreaders in social networks: A two-stage quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization with Lévy flight

The influence maximization problem aims to select a small set of influential nodes, termed a seed set, to maximize their influence coverage in social networks. Although the methods that are based on a greedy strategy can obtain good accuracy, they come at the cost of enormous computational time, and are therefore not applicable to practical scenarios in large-scale networks. In addition, the centrality heuristic algorithms that are based on network topology can be completed in relatively less time. However, they tend to fail to achieve satisfactory results because of drawbacks such as overlapped influence spread. In this work, we propose a discrete two-stage metaheuristic optimization combining quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization with Lévy flight to identify a set of the most influential spreaders. According to the framework,first, the particles in the population are tasked to conduct an exploration in the global solution space to eventually converge to an acceptable solution through the crossover and replacement operations. Second, the Lévy flight mechanism is used to perform a wandering walk on the optimal candidate solution in the population to exploit the potentially unidentified influential nodes in the network. Experiments on six real-world social networks show that the proposed algorithm achieves more satisfactory results when compared to other well-known algorithms.

Application of Transformed Two-Stage Network DEA to Strategic Design of Biofuel Supply Chain Network

This paper proposes an innovative procedure for designing efficient biomass-biofuel logistics networks(BBLNs).This procedure is based on the two-stage network data envelopment analysis(TSN-DEA)models that have been developed to provide specific process guidance for the managers to improve the efficiency of the decision-making unit(DMU)with the TSN process.The crucial issue of the TSN-DEA is that the overall efficiency score depends on the DMUs under evaluation.Thus,the rankings for the DMUs generated by the TSN-DEA model are inconsistent.As a result,the TSN-DEA-based ranking methods are limited.The TSN-DEA’s inconsistency frequently makes it difficult for decision-makers to select the top-rated DMUs.We develop the transformed TSN(T-TSN)DEA method by applying the multi-criteria DEA model to overcome this issue.The proposed method transforms the DMUs with any number of inputs,intermediate measures,and outputs in the TSN process,through the multi-objective programming model with a minimax objective approach,into the DMUs with two inputs and one output in the single-stage network(SSN)process.Then,the well-known DEA methods for the SSN,such as the cross-efficiency and super-efficiency DEA methods,can be applied to evaluate and rank the transformed DMUs more consistently.We exhibit the applicability of the proposed approach for the BBLN design problem.A case study of South Carolina in the USA demonstrates that the proposed method performs well in identifying efficient BBLN schemes more consistently than the traditional TSN-DEA.

Two-Stage Optimal Scheduling of Community Integrated Energy System

From the perspective of a community energy operator,a two-stage optimal scheduling model of a community integrated energy system is proposed by integrating information on controllable loads.The day-ahead scheduling analyzes whether various controllable loads participate in the optimization and investigates the impact of their responses on the operating economy of the community integrated energy system(IES)before and after;the intra-day scheduling proposes a two-stage rolling optimization model based on the day-ahead scheduling scheme,taking into account the fluctuation of wind turbine output and load within a short period of time and according to the different response rates of heat and cooling power,and solves the adjusted output of each controllable device.The simulation results show that the optimal scheduling of controllable loads effectively reduces the comprehensive operating costs of community IES;the two-stage optimal scheduling model can meet the energy demand of customers while effectively and timely suppressing the random fluctuations on both sides of the source and load during the intra-day stage,realizing the economic and smooth operation of IES.

Multi-source coordinated stochastic restoration for SOP in distribution networks with a two-stage algorithm

After suffering from a grid blackout, distributed energy resources(DERs), such as local renewable energy and controllable distributed generators and energy storage can be used to restore loads enhancing the system’s resilience. In this study, a multi-source coordinated load restoration strategy was investigated for a distribution network with soft open points(SOPs). Here, the flexible regulation ability of the SOPs is fully utilized to improve the load restoration level while mitigating voltage deviations. Owing to the uncertainty, a scenario-based stochastic optimization approach was employed,and the load restoration problem was formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model. A computationally efficient solution algorithm was developed for the model using convex relaxation and linearization methods. The algorithm is organized into a two-stage structure, in which the energy storage system is dispatched in the first stage by solving a relaxed convex problem. In the second stage, an integer programming problem is calculated to acquire the outputs of both SOPs and power resources. A numerical test was conducted on both IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 123-bus systems to validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Operating efficiency in Chinese universities:An extended two-stage network DEA approach

Operating efficiency of universities is widely concerned by the education community.As a non-parametric method for efficiently handling multiple inputs and outputs,data envelopment analysis(DEA)is often used for measuring the operating efficiency.However,shared input resources are often ignored in the existing DEA studies.In order to remedy the shortcoming with a focus on teaching and research processes of universities,this paper adopts an extended two-stage network DEA approach to measure the operating efficiency of 52 universities in China using a data set in 2014.The main findings show that:(1)Among the operating efficiency of 52 universities,about one third and two thirds of universities are efficient and inefficient,respectively.It may reflect some problems such as inefficient use of resources or unsatisfactory outcomes for these inefficient universities.By giving first priority to universities’teaching or research process,we provide alternative ways for teaching-oriented or research-oriented universities to benchmark and improve their performance.(2)For the heterogeneity efficiency analysis of different universities,the operating efficiency of“non-985”universities are significantly higher than that of“985”universities,while there is only a small difference on the operating efficiency between comprehensive universities and science&engineering universities.Although the efficiency of the central and western universities is slightly better than that of the eastern universities in terms of the average efficiency,there is no significant efficiency difference among the eastern,central,and western regions statistically.Hence,to improve the operating efficiency of Chinese universities,the Chinese government should improve the financial allocation mechanism and introduce successful budget performance management.For the Chinese universities,they should formulate teaching and scientific research plans according to their own research needs and development goals.

Overall Efficiency and its Decomposition in a Two-Stage Network DEA Model

This paper aims to propose a new approach to decompose an overall data envelopment analysis model into equivalent two-stage models.In this approach,we use a minimax reference point method to set the weights and reliabilities of the two stage models so that the combined efficiency of the two stages is equal to the overall efficiency.The equivalent multi-stage models are useful to support planning for performance improvement.An illustrative example is first explored to compare the results from the new approach with those of four other existing approaches.The main finding from the comparisons is that the new decomposition approach of this paper satisfies the proposed assumptions.A case study is then conducted on a two-stage process of steel manufacturing to illustrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach.

Influence of two-stage harvesting on the properties of cold-pressed rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)oils

Rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)harvesting method is critical since it significantly determines the seed yield,oil quality,and industrial efficiency.This study investigated the influences of harvesting methods on the quality of cold-pressed rapeseed oil of two varieties.Oil color,peroxide value(POV),tocopherol content,fatty acid composition,and polarity of total polyphenols(PTP)contents of two rapeseed varieties in Huanggang and Xiangyang were compared through artificially simulated combined harvesting and two-stage harvesting.Results showed significant differences in the quality of rapeseed oil between the two harvesting methods.The red value(R-value),POV,total tocopherol contents,linoleic and linolenic acid content,and PTP content of the pressed rapeseed oil prepared by the combined harvesting method were about 27.6,5.7,15.8,2.0,0.5,and 28.6%lower than those of the oil produced from the two-stage harvesting method,respectively.Xiangyang and Huayouza62 performed better in the two regions and two varieties,respectively.To sum up,the rapeseed oil obtained 41–44 days after final flowering of combined harvesting,35 days after final flowering,and six days of post-ripening of the two-stage harvesting had the best quality.

Tourism Route Recommendation Based on A Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm Using Two-Stage Decomposition and Pareto Layering

Tourism route planning is widely applied in the smart tourism field.The Pareto-optimal front obtained by the traditional multi-objective evolutionary algorithm exhibits long tails,sharp peaks and disconnected regions problems,which leads to uneven distribution and weak diversity of optimization solutions of tourism routes.Inspired by these limitations,we propose a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for tourism route recommendation(MOTRR)with two-stage and Pareto layering based on decomposition.The method decomposes the multiobjective problem into several subproblems,and improves the distribution of solutions through a two-stage method.The crowding degree mechanism between extreme and intermediate populations is used in the two-stage method.The neighborhood is determined according to the weight of the subproblem for crossover mutation.Finally,Pareto layering is used to improve the updating efficiency and population diversity of the solution.The two-stage method is combined with the Pareto layering structure,which not only maintains the distribution and diversity of the algorithm,but also avoids the same solutions.Compared with several classical benchmark algorithms,the experimental results demonstrate competitive advantages on five test functions,hypervolume(HV)and inverted generational distance(IGD)metrics.Using the experimental results of real scenic spot datasets from two famous tourism social networking sites with vast amounts of users and large-scale online comments in Beijing,our proposed algorithm shows better distribution.It proves that the tourism routes recommended by our proposed algorithm have better distribution and diversity,so that the recommended routes can better meet the personalized needs of tourists.

Reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks Based on Two-Stage Bayesian Network Structure Learning Algorithm

In the post-genomic biology era,the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks from microarray gene expression data is very important to understand the underlying biological system,and it has been a challenging task in bioinformatics.The Bayesian network model has been used in reconstructing the gene regulatory network for its advantages,but how to determine the network structure and parameters is still important to be explored.This paper proposes a two-stage structure learning algorithm which integrates immune evolution algorithm to build a Bayesian network.The new algorithm is evaluated with the use of both simulated and yeast cell cycle data.The experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm can find many of the known real regulatory relationships from literature and predict the others unknown with high validity and accuracy.

A two-stage optimization method for unmanned aerial vehicle inspection of an oil and gas pipeline network

Oil and gas pipeline networks are a key link in the coordinated development of oil and gas both upstream and downstream.To improve the reliability and safety of the oil and gas pipeline network, inspections are implemented to minimize the risk of leakage, spill and theft, as well as documenting actual incidents. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles have been recognized as a promising option for inspection due to their high efficiency. However, the integrated optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle inspection for oil and gas pipeline networks, including physical feasibility, the performance of mission, cooperation, real-time implementation and three-dimensional(3-D) space, is a strategic problem due to its large-scale,complexity as well as the need for efficiency. In this work, a novel mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is proposed that takes into account the constraints of the mission scenario and the safety performance of unmanned aerial vehicles. To minimize the total length of the inspection path, the model is solved by a two-stage solution method. Finally, a virtual pipeline network and a practical pipeline network are set as two examples to demonstrate the performance of the optimization schemes. Moreover, compared with the traditional genetic algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm, the self-adaptive genetic simulated annealing algorithm proposed in this paper provides strong stability.

Pluggable multitask diffractive neural networks based on cascaded metasurfaces

Optical neural networks have significant advantages in terms of power consumption,parallelism,and high computing speed,which has intrigued extensive attention in both academic and engineering communities.It has been considered as one of the powerful tools in promoting the fields of imaging processing and object recognition.However,the existing optical system architecture cannot be reconstructed to the realization of multi-functional artificial intelligence systems simultaneously.To push the development of this issue,we propose the pluggable diffractive neural networks(P-DNN),a general paradigm resorting to the cascaded metasurfaces,which can be applied to recognize various tasks by switching internal plug-ins.As the proof-of-principle,the recognition functions of six types of handwritten digits and six types of fashions are numerical simulated and experimental demonstrated at near-infrared regimes.Encouragingly,the proposed paradigm not only improves the flexibility of the optical neural networks but paves the new route for achieving high-speed,low-power and versatile artificial intelligence systems.

A two-stage but time-saving reconstructive scheme to treat severe lower limb length discrepancy:Two case reports

Limb length discrepancy(LLD)is a common orthopedic condition that can result in significant functional impairment,pain,and cosmetic deformities.Current reconstructive techniques for severe LLD are primarily based on callus distraction,which is a time-consuming process that can lead to complications,such as significant infection,joint stiffness,and stress fractures.To reduce the therapeutic time and minimize the risk of complications,we investigated the use of vascularized bone flaps as a technical supplement to callus distraction in the reconstruction of short limbs.We present two cases of severe LLD in the upper and lower legs,in which a twostage reconstruction approach was used.In the first stage,external fixation was applied to the affected limb to correct the soft tissue length and convert the short deformity into a bone defect.In the second stage,the bone defect was reconstructed using bilateral(patient A)or unilateral(patient B)free vascularized fibula bone grafts.Both patients had complete survival of the fibular grafts without stress fractures,and bone consolidation took 8 months(patient A)and 4 months(patient B).Compared to the traditional callus distraction,the two-stage approach was found to be more time-saving and reliable.The entire reconstructive scheme required 18 and 4 months for patients A and B,respectively,whereas the traditional callus distraction required 41 and 17 months,respectively.These findings suggest that the use of vascularized bone flaps as a technical supplement for callus distraction may provide an effective and efficient alternative for the treatment of severe LLD.Further studies are needed to validate these results and assess the long-term outcomes of this approach.

Reliability Evaluation of Two-Stage Directed Semi-Markov Repairable Network Systems

A two-stage directed Semi-Markov repairable network system is presented in this paper to model the performance of many transmission systems, such as power or oil transmission network, water or gas supply network, etc. The availability of the system is discussed by using Markov renewal theory, Laplace transform and probability analysis methods. A numerical example is given to illustrate the results obtained in the paper.

A New Two-Stage Tunable Space-Time Adaptive Detector

In order to improve the rejection capability of mismatched interferer signals,a new two-stage detector is proposed under homogeneous scenarios with unknown covariance matrix,which is obtained by cascading the adaptive matched filter(AMF)detector and the enhanced RAO(EnRAO)detector.The new detector has constant false alarm performance,and the closed-form expression of probability of false alarm and probability of detection is derived.The performance of the new detector is assessed,and analyzed in comparison with other detectors.The results show that,the proposed detector can provide enhanced rejection capability in the case of mismatch,but the performance of the detector is slightly lost under the condition of matching.

No difference in mortality among ALPPS,two-staged hepatectomy,and portal vein embolization/ligation:A systematic review by updated traditional and network meta-analyses

Background:There is an ongoing debate on the feasibility,safety,and oncological efficacy of the associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS)technique.The aim of this study was to compare ALPPS,two-staged hepatectomy(TSH),and portal vein embolization(PVE)/ligation(PVL)using updated traditional meta-analysis and network meta-analysis(NMA).Data sources:Electronic databases were used in a systematic literature search.Updated traditional metaanalysis and NMA were performed and compared.Mortality and major morbidity were selected as primary outcomes.Results:Nineteen studies including 1200 patients were selected from the pool of 436 studies.Of these patients,315(31%)and 702(69%)underwent ALPPS and portal vein occlusion(PVO),respectively.Ninetyday mortality based on updated traditional meta-analysis,subgroup analysis of the randomized controlled trials(RCTs),and both Bayesian and frequentist NMA did not demonstrate significant differences between the ALPPS cohort and the PVE,PVL,and TSH cohorts.Moreover,analysis of RCTs did not demonstrate significant differences of major morbidity between the ALPPS and PVO cohorts.The ALPPS cohort demonstrated significantly more favorable outcomes in hypertrophy parameters,time to operation,definitive hepatectomy,and R0 margins rates compared with the PVO cohort.In contrast,1-year disease-free survival was significantly higher in the PVO cohort compared to the ALPPS cohort.Conclusions:This study is the first to use updated traditional meta-analysis and both Bayesian and frequentist NMA and demonstrated no significant differences in 90-day mortality between the ALPPS and other hepatic hypertrophy approaches.Furthermore,two high quality RCTs including 147 patients demonstrated no significant differences in major morbidity between the ALPPS and PVO cohorts.

Insights into microbiota community dynamics and flavor development mechanism during golden pomfret(Trachinotus ovatus)fermentation based on single-molecule real-time sequencing and molecular networking analysis

Popular fermented golden pomfret(Trachinotus ovatus)is prepared via spontaneous fermentation;however,the mechanisms underlying the regulation of its flavor development remain unclear.This study shows the roles of the complex microbiota and the dynamic changes in microbial community and flavor compounds during fish fermentation.Single-molecule real-time sequencing and molecular networking analysis revealed the correlations among different microbial genera and the relationships between microbial taxa and volatile compounds.Mechanisms underlying flavor development were also elucidated via KEGG based functional annotations.Clostridium,Shewanella,and Staphylococcus were the dominant microbial genera.Forty-nine volatile compounds were detected in the fermented fish samples,with thirteen identified as characteristic volatile compounds(ROAV>1).Volatile profiles resulted from the interactions among the microorganisms and derived enzymes,with the main metabolic pathways being amino acid biosynthesis/metabolism,carbon metabolism,and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis.This study demonstrated the approaches for distinguishing key microbiota associated with volatile compounds and monitoring the industrial production of high-quality fermented fish products.

Dispersed Wind Power Planning Method Considering Network Loss Correction with Cold Weather

In order to play a positive role of decentralised wind power on-grid for voltage stability improvement and loss reduction of distribution network,a multi-objective two-stage decentralised wind power planning method is proposed in the paper,which takes into account the network loss correction for the extreme cold region.Firstly,an electro-thermal model is introduced to reflect the effect of temperature on conductor resistance and to correct the results of active network loss calculation;secondly,a two-stage multi-objective two-stage decentralised wind power siting and capacity allocation and reactive voltage optimisation control model is constructed to take account of the network loss correction,and the multi-objective multi-planning model is established in the first stage to consider the whole-life cycle investment cost of WTGs,the system operating cost and the voltage quality of power supply,and the multi-objective planning model is established in the second stage.planning model,and the second stage further develops the reactive voltage control strategy of WTGs on this basis,and obtains the distribution network loss reduction method based on WTG siting and capacity allocation and reactive power control strategy.Finally,the optimal configuration scheme is solved by the manta ray foraging optimisation(MRFO)algorithm,and the loss of each branch line and bus loss of the distribution network before and after the adoption of this loss reduction method is calculated by taking the IEEE33 distribution system as an example,which verifies the practicability and validity of the proposed method,and provides a reference introduction for decision-making for the distributed energy planning of the distribution network.

Two-stage revision in periprosthetic knee joint infections

Periprosthetic joint infection(PJI)following total knee arthroplasty is one of the most catastrophic and costly complications that carries significant patient wellness as well as economic burdens.The road to efficiently diagnosing and treating PJI is challenging,as there is still no gold standard method to reach the diagnosis as early as desired.There are also international controversies with respect to the best approach to manage PJI cases.In this review,we highlight recent advances in managing PJI following knee arthroplasty surgery and discuss in depth the two-stage revision method.

Influencer identification of dynamical networks based on an information entropy dimension reduction method

Identifying critical nodes or sets in large-scale networks is a fundamental scientific problem and one of the key research directions in the fields of data mining and network science when implementing network attacks, defense, repair and control.Traditional methods usually begin from the centrality, node location or the impact on the largest connected component after node destruction, mainly based on the network structure.However, these algorithms do not consider network state changes.We applied a model that combines a random connectivity matrix and minimal low-dimensional structures to represent network connectivity.By using mean field theory and information entropy to calculate node activity,we calculated the overlap between the random parts and fixed low-dimensional parts to quantify the influence of node impact on network state changes and ranked them by importance.We applied this algorithm and the proposed importance algorithm to the overall analysis and stratified analysis of the C.elegans neural network.We observed a change in the critical entropy of the network state and by utilizing the proposed method we can calculate the nodes that indirectly affect muscle cells through neural layers.

A multilayer network diffusion-based model for reviewer recommendation

With the rapid growth of manuscript submissions,finding eligible reviewers for every submission has become a heavy task.Recommender systems are powerful tools developed in computer science and information science to deal with this problem.However,most existing approaches resort to text mining techniques to match manuscripts with potential reviewers,which require high-quality textual information to perform well.In this paper,we propose a reviewer recommendation algorithm based on a network diffusion process on a scholar-paper multilayer network,with no requirement for textual information.The network incorporates the relationship of scholar-paper pairs,the collaboration among scholars,and the bibliographic coupling among papers.Experimental results show that our proposed algorithm outperforms other state-of-the-art recommendation methods that use graph random walk and matrix factorization and methods that use machine learning and natural language processing,with improvements of over 7.62%in recall,5.66%in hit rate,and 47.53%in ranking score.Our work sheds light on the effectiveness of multilayer network diffusion-based methods in the reviewer recommendation problem,which will help to facilitate the peer-review process and promote information retrieval research in other practical scenes.