Long radial coherence of electron temperature fluctuations in non-local transport in HL-2A plasmas

The dynamics of long-wavelength(kθ<1.4 cm^(-1)),broadband(20 kHz–200 kHz)electron temperature fluctuations(Te/Te)of plasmas in gas-puff experiments are observed for the first time in HL-2A tokamak.In a relatively low density(ne(0)■0.91×10^(19)m^(-3)–1.20×10^(19)m^(-3))scenario,after gas-puffing the core temperature increases and the edge temperature drops.On the contrary,temperature fluctuation drops at the core and increases at the edge.Analyses show the non-local emergence is accompanied with a long radial coherent length of turbulent fluctuations.While in a higher density(ne(0)?1.83×10^(19)m^(-3)–2.02×10^(19)m^(-3))scenario,the phenomena are not observed.Furthermore,compelling evidence indicates that E×B shear serves as a substantial contributor to this extensive radial interaction.This finding offers a direct explanatory link to the intriguing core-heating phenomenon witnessed within the realm of non-local transport.

High performance“non-local”generic face reconstruction model using the lightweight Speckle-Transformer(SpT)UNet

Significant progress has been made in computational imaging(CI),in which deep convolutional neural networks(CNNs)have demonstrated that sparse speckle patterns can be reconstructed.However,due to the limited“local”kernel size of the convolutional operator,for the spatially dense patterns,such as the generic face images,the performance of CNNs is limited.Here,we propose a“non-local”model,termed the Speckle-Transformer(SpT)UNet,for speckle feature extraction of generic face images.It is worth noting that the lightweight SpT UNet reveals a high efficiency and strong comparative performance with Pearson Correlation Coefficient(PCC),and structural similarity measure(SSIM)exceeding 0.989,and 0.950,respectively.

Fresnel Equations Derived Using a Non-Local Hidden-Variable Particle Theory

Problem: The Fresnel equations describe the proportions of reflected and transmitted light from a surface, and are conventionally derived from wave theory continuum mechanics. Particle-based derivations of the Fresnel equations appear not to exist. Approach: The objective of this work was to derive the basic optical laws from first principles from a particle basis. The particle model used was the Cordus theory, a type of non-local hidden-variable (NLHV) theory that predicts specific substructures to the photon and other particles. Findings: The theory explains the origin of the orthogonal electrostatic and magnetic fields, and re-derives the refraction and reflection laws including Snell’s law and critical angle, and the Fresnel equations for s and p-polarisation. These formulations are identical to those produced by electromagnetic wave theory. Contribution: The work provides a comprehensive derivation and physical explanation of the basic optical laws, which appears not to have previously been shown from a particle basis. Implications: The primary implications are for suggesting routes for the theoretical advancement of fundamental physics. The Cordus NLHV particle theory explains optical phenomena, yet it also explains other physical phenomena including some otherwise only accessible through quantum mechanics (such as the electron spin g-factor) and general relativity (including the Lorentz and relativistic Doppler). It also provides solutions for phenomena of unknown causation, such as asymmetrical baryogenesis, unification of the interactions, and reasons for nuclide stability/instability. Consequently, the implication is that NLHV theories have the potential to represent a deeper physics that may underpin and unify quantum mechanics, general relativity, and wave theory.

Validity of non-local mean filter and novel denoising method

Background Image denoising is an important topic in the digital image processing field.This study theoretically investigates the validity of the classical nonlocal mean filter(NLM)for removing Gaussian noise from a novel statistical perspective.Method By considering the restored image as an estimator of the clear image from a statistical perspective,we gradually analyze the unbiasedness and effectiveness of the restored value obtained by the NLM filter.Subsequently,we propose an improved NLM algorithm called the clustering-based NLM filter that is derived from the conditions obtained through the theoretical analysis.The proposed filter attempts to restore an ideal value using the approximately constant intensities obtained by the image clustering process.In this study,we adopt a mixed probability model on a prefiltered image to generate an estimator of the ideal clustered components.Result The experiment yields improved peak signal-to-noise ratio values and visual results upon the removal of Gaussian noise.Conclusion However,the considerable practical performance of our filter demonstrates that our method is theoretically acceptable as it can effectively estimate ideal images.

基于Non-local的腰椎间盘突出患者多裂肌分割方法

为实现腰椎间盘突出患者多裂肌病灶部位的精确分割,提出了一种基于Non-local的腰椎间盘突出患者多裂肌分割方法。以U-Net网络为基础,通过构造混合池化卷积来代替编码器传统的卷积模块,以提高全局特征与局部特征之间的相关性并融合网络高低维特征,增强了网络提取多裂肌特征的能力。然后,在网络的中间部署了一个由2个级联卷积组成的卷积模块。最后,经过由Non-local模块和3×3的卷积构成的解码器,通过引入注意力机制来更加关注目标的特征并抑制不必要的特征和噪音,从而提高模型的性能。实验结果表明,本方法与经典U-Net算法相比,Dice系数提升了9.5%,Jaccard相似系数提升了11.3%,Hausdorff Distance下降了74.6%。该方法提高了多裂肌脂肪浸润部位的分割精度,为腰椎间盘突出患者多裂肌病灶部位的分割提供了一种有效的方法。

Longitudinal changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers in the first year after delivery and its relationship with human milk composition:a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional cohort study

Objective:Postpartum weight retention(PPWR)is a common problem among women after childbirth.The main objectives of this study are to understand the changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers during long-term follow-up and preliminarily explore the relationship between maternal body weight and human milk composition,including macronutrients,leptin,and adiponectin.Methods:The study included a longitudinal cohort(122 mothers),and a cross-sectional cohort(37 mothers).The human milk,maternal weight,and dietary surveys were collected in the longitudinal cohort at different follow-up time points(1-14 days postpartum,2-4 months postpartum,5-7 months postpartum,and 12-17 months postpartum).The maternal body weight was analyzed using the responses in the survey questionnaires.A milk analyzer based on the mid-infrared spectroscopy(MIRS)was used to determine milk composition,and nutrition analysis software evaluated dietary intakes.In the cross-sectional cohort,participating mothers were asked to provide blood and human milk samples and pertinent information related to maternal body composition.Maternal body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA),while ELISA analyzed leptin and adiponectin in milk and serum.Results:At 5-7 months postpartum,the PPWR of breastfeeding mothers was(2.46±3.59)kg.At 12-17 months postpartum,the PPWR was(0.98±4.06)kg.PPWR was found to be negatively correlated with milk fat content within 14 days postpartum and positively correlated at 2-4 months postpartum.In addition,the maternal weight and body muscle mass were positively correlated with leptin and adiponectin in milk.Plasma leptin was positively correlated with the mother’s body weight,body mass index(BMI),FAT percentage,and body fat mass,while plasma adiponectin did not correlate with any parameter.The results also indicate that the PPWR did not correlate with leptin and adiponectin in plasma or milk.Conclusions:Breastfeeding mothers may retain considerable weight gain one year after delivery.Human milk composition may be related to changes in maternal body weight.Leptin and adiponectin in breast milk and leptin in plasma are associated with the maternal body composition.This study supports the notion that maternal nutritional status may affect offspring health through lactation,and future research should focus on exploring weight management of postpartum mothers.

Two Modifications of Weight Calculation of the Non-Local Means Denoising Method

The non-local means (NLM) denoising method replaces each pixel by the weighted average of pixels with the sur-rounding neighborhoods. In this paper we employ a cosine weighting function instead of the original exponential func-tion to improve the efficiency of the NLM denoising method. The cosine function outperforms in the high level noise more than low level noise. To increase the performance more in the low level noise we calculate the neighborhood si-milarity weights in a lower-dimensional subspace using singular value decomposition (SVD). Experimental compari-sons between the proposed modifications against the original NLM algorithm demonstrate its superior denoising per-formance in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and histogram, using various test images corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN).

Optimal investment based on relative performance and weighted utility

This paper studies the optimal portfolio allocation of a fund manager when he bases decisions on both the absolute level of terminal relative performance and the change value of terminal relative performance comparison to a predefined reference point. We find the optimal investment strategy by maximizing a weighted average utility of a concave utility and an Sshaped utility via a concavification technique and the martingale method. Numerical results are carried out to show the impact of the extent to which the manager pays attention to the change of relative performance related to the reference point on the optimal terminal relative performance.

Effect of Molecular Weight on Thermoelectric Performance of P3HT Analogues with 2-Propoxyethyl Side Chains

By replacing hexyl chains in poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)with 2-propoxyethyls,four poly(3-(2-propoxyethyl)thiophene)(P3POET)homopolymers with comparable polydispersity indexes(PDI)and regioregularities were prepared herein in addition with step increment of about 7 kDa on numberaverage molecular weight(M_(n))from around 11 to 32 kDa(accordingly denoted as P11k,P18k,P25k,and P32k).When doped in film by FeCl_(3)at the optimized conditions,the maximum power factor(PF_(max))increases greatly from 4.3μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P11k to 8.8μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P18k,and further to 9.7μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P25k,followed by a slight decrease to 9.2μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P32k.The close Seebeck coefficients(S)at PF_(max)are observed in these doped polymer films due to their consistent frontier orbital energy levels and Fermi levels.The main contribution to this PF_(max)evolution thus comes from the corresponding conductivities(σ).Theσvariation of the doped films can be rationally correlated with their microstructure evolution.

A redundant subspace weighting procedure for clock ensemble

A redundant-subspace-weighting(RSW)-based approach is proposed to enhance the frequency stability on a time scale of a clock ensemble.In this method,multiple overlapping subspaces are constructed in the clock ensemble,and the weight of each clock in this ensemble is defined by using the spatial covariance matrix.The superimposition average of covariances in different subspaces reduces the correlations between clocks in the same laboratory to some extent.After optimizing the parameters of this weighting procedure,the frequency stabilities of virtual clock ensembles are significantly improved in most cases.

Curve Classification Based onMean-Variance Feature Weighting and Its Application

The classification of functional data has drawn much attention in recent years.The main challenge is representing infinite-dimensional functional data by finite-dimensional features while utilizing those features to achieve better classification accuracy.In this paper,we propose a mean-variance-based(MV)feature weighting method for classifying functional data or functional curves.In the feature extraction stage,each sample curve is approximated by B-splines to transfer features to the coefficients of the spline basis.After that,a feature weighting approach based on statistical principles is introduced by comprehensively considering the between-class differences and within-class variations of the coefficients.We also introduce a scaling parameter to adjust the gap between the weights of features.The new feature weighting approach can adaptively enhance noteworthy local features while mitigating the impact of confusing features.The algorithms for feature weighted K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine classifiers are both provided.Moreover,the new approach can be well integrated into existing functional data classifiers,such as the generalized functional linear model and functional linear discriminant analysis,resulting in a more accurate classification.The performance of the mean-variance-based classifiers is evaluated by simulation studies and real data.The results show that the newfeatureweighting approach significantly improves the classification accuracy for complex functional data.

Genetic dissection and validation of a major QTL for grain weight on chromosome 3B in bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Grain weight is one of the key components of wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)yield.Genetic manipulation of grain weight is an efficient approach for improving yield potential in breeding programs.A recombinant inbred line(RIL)population derived from a cross between W7268 and Chuanyu 12(CY12)was employed to detect quantitative trait loci(QTLs)for thousand-grain weight(TGW),grain length(GL),grain width(GW),and the ratio of grain length to width(GLW)in six environments.Seven major QTLs,QGl.cib-2D,QGw.cib-2D,QGw.cib-3B,QGw.cib-4B.1,QGlw.cib-2D.1,QTgw.cib-2D.1 and QTgw.cib-3B.1,were consistently identified in at least four environments and the best linear unbiased estimation(BLUE)datasets,and they explained 2.61 to 34.85%of the phenotypic variance.Significant interactions were detected between the two major TGW QTLs and three major GW loci.In addition,QTgw.cib-3B.1 and QGw.cib-3B were co-located,and the improved TGW at this locus was contributed by GW.Unlike other loci,QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B had no effect on grain number per spike(GNS).They were further validated in advanced lines using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR(KASP)markers,and a comparison analysis indicated that QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B is likely a novel locus.Six haplotypes were identified in the region of this QTL and their distribution frequencies varied between the landraces and cultivars.According to gene annotation,spatial expression patterns,ortholog analysis and sequence variation,the candidate gene of QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B was predicted.Collectively,the major QTLs and KASP markers reported here provide valuable information for elucidating the genetic architecture of grain weight and for molecular marker-assisted breeding in grain yield improvement.

Spatial search weighting information contained in cell velocity distribution

Cell migration plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes.Understanding the characteristics of cell movement is crucial for comprehending biological processes such as cell functionality,cell migration,and cell–cell interactions.One of the fundamental characteristics of cell movement is the specific distribution of cell speed,containing valuable information that still requires comprehensive understanding.This article investigates the distribution of mean velocities along cell trajectories,with a focus on optimizing the efficiency of cell food search in the context of the entire colony.We confirm that the specific velocity distribution in the experiments corresponds to an optimal search efficiency when spatial weighting is considered.The simulation results indicate that the distribution of average velocity does not align with the optimal search efficiency when employing average spatial weighting.However,when considering the distribution of central spatial weighting,the specific velocity distribution in the experiment is shown to correspond to the optimal search efficiency.Our simulations reveal that for any given distribution of average velocity,a specific central spatial weighting can be identified among the possible central spatial weighting that aligns with the optimal search strategy.Additionally,our work presents a method for determining the spatial weights embedded in the velocity distribution of cell movement.Our results have provided new avenues for further investigation of significant topics,such as relationship between cell behavior and environmental conditions throughout their evolutionary history,and how cells achieve collective cooperation through cell-cell communication.

Chemical modification of barite for improving the performance of weighting materials for water-based drilling fluids

With increasing drilling depth and large dosage of weighting materials,drilling fluids with high solid content are characterized by poor stability,high viscosity,large water loss,and thick mud cake,easier leading to reservoir damage and wellbore instability.In this paper,micronized barite(MB)was modified(mMB)by grafting with hydrophilic polymer onto the surface through the free radical polymerization to displace conventional API barite partly.The suspension stability of water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)weighted with API barite:mMB=2:1 in 600 g was significantly enhanced compared with that with API barite/WBDFs,exhibiting the static sag factor within 0.54 and the whole stability index of 2.The viscosity and yield point reached the minimum,with a reduction of more than 40%compared with API barite only at the same density.Through multi-stage filling and dense accumulation of weighting materials and clays,filtration loss was decreased,mud cake quality was improved,and simultaneously it had great reservoir protection performance,and the permeability recovery rate reached 87%.In addition,it also effectively improved the lubricity of WBDFs.The sticking coefficient of mud cake was reduced by 53.4%,and the friction coefficient was 0.2603.Therefore,mMB can serve as a versatile additive to control the density,rheology,filtration,and stability of WBDFs weighted with API barite,thus regulating comprehensive performance and achieving reservoir protection capacity.This work opened up a new path for the productive drilling of extremely deep and intricate wells by providing an efficient method for managing the performance of high-density WBDFs.

Comparative Efficacy of Lifestyle Modifications versus Pharmacotherapy on Weight Loss and Metabolic Health Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review

Background: Obesity has become a serious global public health challenge, given that it leads to various adverse health outcomes that include cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that, at the end of 2022, 1 out of every 8 individuals were obese, and that the global adult obesity rates have over doubled since 1990, even as the adolescent obesity rates have quadrupled. Thus, as of 2022, nearly 2.5 billion adults, aged 18 years and above, were overweight, with 890 million being obese. Obesity and overweight incidence rate has been gradually increasing over the years, presenting significant challenges to the healthcare systems throughout the globe. In this regard, the objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lifestyle modifications (diet and physical activity) and pharmacotherapy in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic health in overweight adults. Methodology: To attain the above stated study objective, a systematic evaluation of previous studies was carried out, particularly studies that assessed the effectiveness and safety of lifestyle modifications (diet and physical activity) and pharmacotherapy in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic health in overweight adults. The authors have used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in the selection of eligible studies for inclusion in the study. Results: The findings indicate that lifestyle interventions resulted in 5% - 10% weight reduction and significant improvements in metabolic indicators, while pharmacotherapy (GLP-1 receptor agonists) achieved up to 15% weight reduction and considerable metabolic health benefits. Further, comparative studies show lifestyle modifications provide overall health benefits, while medication is necessary for non-responders. Conclusion: Individualized treatment strategies are crucial, and further research is needed on long-term consequences and combination therapies.

The Weighted Basis for PHT-Splines

PHT-splines are defined as polynomial splines over hierarchical T-meshes with very efficient local refinement properties.The original PHT-spline basis functions constructed by the truncation mechanism have a decay phenomenon,resulting in numerical instability.The non-decay basis functions are constructed as the B-splines that are defined on the 2×2 tensor product meshes associated with basis vertices in Kang et al.,but at the cost of losing the partition of unity.In the field of finite element analysis and topology optimization,forming the partition of unity is the default ingredient for constructing basis functions of approximate spaces.In this paper,we will show that the non-decay PHT-spline basis functions proposed by Kang et al.can be appropriately modified to form a partition of unity.Each non-decay basis function is multiplied by a positive weight to form the weighted basis.The weights are solved such that the sum of weighted bases is equal to 1 on the domain.We provide two methods for calculatingweights,based on geometric information of basis functions and the subdivision of PHT-splines.Weights are given in the form of explicit formulas and can be efficiently calculated.We also prove that the weights on the admissible hierarchical T-meshes are positive.

Low Birth Weight in Cameroon: Research and Analysis of Factors Associated with Their Occurrence in Douala Maternity Wards

Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a birth weight strictly below 2500 g, whatever the term of pregnancy. It constitutes a major public health problem, both in developed and developing countries, due to its magnitude and its strong association with infant morbidity and mortality. Main objective was to study the factors associated with the occurrence of small-for-gestational-age newborns in Douala. Methodology: We carried out a cross-sectional analytical study with prospective data collection using a technical pretested sheet in the maternity wards of the Douala General Hospital, the Laquintinie Hospital, and the District hospitals of Deido, Nylon and Bonassama over a period of 4 months (January to April 2020). We were interested in any newborn, born alive, vaginally or by cesarean section, of low weight, seen in the first 24 hours from a full-term single-fetal pregnancy whose mother had given her consent. Our sampling was consecutive and non-exhaustive. We excluded newborns whose term was unclear and those with congenital malformations or signs of embryo-foetopathy. Data collection was done using survey sheets. Statistical analyzes were carried out with CS Pro 7.3 and SPSS version 25.0 software. The Student, Chi-square and Fischer tests were used to compare the means of the variables, the percentages with a significance threshold P value Results: During the study period, 305 full-term newborns were included, divided into 172 boys and 133 girls. The percentage of small-for-gestational-age newborns was 9.8%;after multivariate analysis by logistic regression to eliminate confounding factors, we found maternal factors associated with small for gestational age newborns;maternal age less than 20 years, primiparity, gestational age (37 - 38), a delay in prenatal visits greater than 14 weeks, anemia in pregnancy, positive toxoplasmosis serology in pregnancy, a body mass index of Conclusion: Our study revealed the potential determinants of low birth weight at term in the Cameroonian urban context and specifically in Douala.

An Improved Solov2 Based on Attention Mechanism and Weighted Loss Function for Electrical Equipment Instance Segmentation

The current existing problem of deep learning framework for the detection and segmentation of electrical equipment is dominantly related to low precision.Because of the reliable,safe and easy-to-operate technology provided by deep learning-based video surveillance for unmanned inspection of electrical equipment,this paper uses the bottleneck attention module(BAM)attention mechanism to improve the Solov2 model and proposes a new electrical equipment segmentation mode.Firstly,the BAM attention mechanism is integrated into the feature extraction network to adaptively learn the correlation between feature channels,thereby improving the expression ability of the feature map;secondly,the weighted sum of CrossEntropy Loss and Dice loss is designed as the mask loss to improve the segmentation accuracy and robustness of the model;finally,the non-maximal suppression(NMS)algorithm to better handle the overlap problem in instance segmentation.Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves an average segmentation accuracy of mAP of 80.4% on three types of electrical equipment datasets,including transformers,insulators and voltage transformers,which improve the detection accuracy by more than 5.7% compared with the original Solov2 model.The segmentation model proposed can provide a focusing technical means for the intelligent management of power systems.

Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression in Assessing Dengue Fever Spread Factors in Yunnan Border Regions

Objective This study employs the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression(GTWR)model to assess the impact of meteorological elements and imported cases on dengue fever outbreaks,emphasizing the spatial-temporal variability of these factors in border regions.Methods We conducted a descriptive analysis of dengue fever’s temporal-spatial distribution in Yunnan border areas.Utilizing annual data from 2013 to 2019,with each county in the Yunnan border serving as a spatial unit,we constructed a GTWR model to investigate the determinants of dengue fever and their spatio-temporal heterogeneity in this region.Results The GTWR model,proving more effective than Ordinary Least Squares(OLS)analysis,identified significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in factors influencing dengue fever’s spread along the Yunnan border.Notably,the GTWR model revealed a substantial variation in the relationship between indigenous dengue fever incidence,meteorological variables,and imported cases across different counties.Conclusion In the Yunnan border areas,local dengue incidence is affected by temperature,humidity,precipitation,wind speed,and imported cases,with these factors’influence exhibiting notable spatial and temporal variation.

Low Birth Weight and Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant Women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Ten years following these recommendations, we conducted this study to estimate the coverage for three doses of IPT-SP (IPT3) as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the maternity wards of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from antenatal consultations and clinical data of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine factors associated with LBW. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Median age of the mothers was 27 years, IQR [24-31]. More than a third (35.3%) of the mothers were primigravida. IPT3 coverage was 66.7% and 14.7% of newborns had a LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 33.3% [23.3-43.4] in women who had received fewer than 3 doses of IPT-SP and 5.4% [2.0-8.8] in those who had received at least 3 doses of IPT-SP (p Conclusion: Ten years following recommendations of the WHO on IPT-SP, malaria prevention based on IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé, and the proportion of LBW children remains high. Actions to strengthen the three-dose IPT-SP policy are needed to prevent malaria and its consequences among newborns in Togo.