Improved Segmented Belief Propagation List Decoding for Polar Codes with Bit-Flipping

Belief propagation list(BPL) decoding for polar codes has attracted more attention due to its inherent parallel nature. However, a large gap still exists with CRC-aided SCL(CA-SCL) decoding.In this work, an improved segmented belief propagation list decoding based on bit flipping(SBPL-BF) is proposed. On the one hand, the proposed algorithm makes use of the cooperative characteristic in BPL decoding such that the codeword is decoded in different BP decoders. Based on this characteristic, the unreliable bits for flipping could be split into multiple subblocks and could be flipped in different decoders simultaneously. On the other hand, a more flexible and effective processing strategy for the priori information of the unfrozen bits that do not need to be flipped is designed to improve the decoding convergence. In addition, this is the first proposal in BPL decoding which jointly optimizes the bit flipping of the information bits and the code bits. In particular, for bit flipping of the code bits, a H-matrix aided bit-flipping algorithm is designed to enhance the accuracy in identifying erroneous code bits. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm significantly improves the errorcorrection performance of BPL decoding for medium and long codes. It is more than 0.25 d B better than the state-of-the-art BPL decoding at a block error rate(BLER) of 10^(-5), and outperforms CA-SCL decoding in the low signal-to-noise(SNR) region for(1024, 0.5)polar codes.

Semantic Segmentation of Lumbar Vertebrae Using Meijering U-Net(MU-Net)on Spine Magnetic Resonance Images

Lower back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the world and it is experienced by a huge percentage of people everywhere.Due to its ability to produce a detailed view of the soft tissues,including the spinal cord,nerves,intervertebral discs,and vertebrae,Magnetic Resonance Imaging is thought to be the most effective method for imaging the spine.The semantic segmentation of vertebrae plays a major role in the diagnostic process of lumbar diseases.It is difficult to semantically partition the vertebrae in Magnetic Resonance Images from the surrounding variety of tissues,including muscles,ligaments,and intervertebral discs.U-Net is a powerful deep-learning architecture to handle the challenges of medical image analysis tasks and achieves high segmentation accuracy.This work proposes a modified U-Net architecture namely MU-Net,consisting of the Meijering convolutional layer that incorporates the Meijering filter to perform the semantic segmentation of lumbar vertebrae L1 to L5 and sacral vertebra S1.Pseudo-colour mask images were generated and used as ground truth for training the model.The work has been carried out on 1312 images expanded from T1-weighted mid-sagittal MRI images of 515 patients in the Lumbar Spine MRI Dataset publicly available from Mendeley Data.The proposed MU-Net model for the semantic segmentation of the lumbar vertebrae gives better performance with 98.79%of pixel accuracy(PA),98.66%of dice similarity coefficient(DSC),97.36%of Jaccard coefficient,and 92.55%mean Intersection over Union(mean IoU)metrics using the mentioned dataset.

Successful emergency surgical intervention in acute non-STsegment elevation myocardial infarction with rupture:A case report

BACKGROUND The incidence of acute myocardial infarction(AMI)is rising,with cardiac rupture accounting for approximately 2%of deaths in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Ventricular free wall rupture(FWR)occurs in approximately 2%of AMI patients and is notably rare in patients with non-STEMI.Types of cardiac rupture include left ventricular FWR,ventricular septal rupture,and papillary muscle rupture.The FWR usually leads to acute cardiac tamponade or electromechanical dissociation,where standard resuscitation efforts may not be effective.Ventricular septal rupture and papillary muscle rupture often result in refractory heart failure,with mortality rates over 50%,even with surgical or percutaneous repair options.CASE SUMMARY We present a rare case of an acute non-STEMI patient who suffered sudden FWR causing cardiac tamponade and loss of consciousness immediate before undergoing coronary angiography.Prompt resuscitation and emergency open-heart repair along with coronary artery bypass grafting resulted in successful patient recovery.CONCLUSION This case emphasizes the risks of AMI complications,shares a successful treatment scenario,and discusses measures to prevent such complications.

LPI radar signal detection based on the combination of FFT and segmented autocorrelation plus PAHT

This paper proposes a desirable method to detect different kinds of low probability of intercept (LPI) radar signals, targeted at the main intra-pulse modulation method of LPI radar signals including the signals of linear frequency modulation, phase code, and frequency code. Firstly, it improves the coherent integration of LPI radar signals by adding the periodicity of the ambiguity function. Then, it develops a frequency domain detection method based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) and segmented autocorrelation function to detect signals without features of linear frequency modulation by virtue of the distribution characteristics of noise signals in the frequency domain. Finally, this paper gives a verification of the performance of the method for different signal-to-noise ratios by conducting simulation experiments, and compares the method with existing ones. Additionally, this method is characterized by the straightforward calculation and high real-time performance, which is conducive to better detecting all kinds of LPI radar signals.

Effect of Segmented Electrode Length on the Performances of an Aton-Type Hall Thruster

The influences of the low-emissive graphite segmented electrode t）laeed near the channel exit on the discharge characteristics of a Hall thruster are studied using the particle- in-cell method. A two-dimensional physical model is established according to the Hall thruster discharge channel configuration. The effects of electrode length on the potential, ion density, electron temperature, ionization rate and discharge current are investigated. It is found that, with tile increasing of the segmented electrode length, the equipotential lines bend towards the channel exit. and approximately parallel to the wall at the channel surface, the radial velocity and radial flow of ions are increased, and the electron temperature is also enhanced. Due to the conductive characteristic of electrodes, the radial electric field and the axial electron conductivity near the wall are enhanced, and the probability of the electron-atom ionization is reduced, which leads to the degradation of the ionization rate in the discharge channel. However, the interaction between electrons and the wall enhances the near wall conductivity, therefore the discharge current grows along with the segmented electrode length, and the performance of the thruster is also affected.

Light-scattering model for aerosol particles with irregular shapes and inhomogeneous compositions using a parallelized pseudo-spectral time-domain technique

To improve the modeling accuracy of radiative transfer,the scattering properties of aerosol particles with irregular shapes and inhomogeneous compositions should be simulated accurately.To this end,a light-scattering model for nonspherical particles is established based on the pseudo-spectral time domain(PSTD)technique.In this model,the perfectly matched layer with auxiliary differential equation(ADE-PML),an excellent absorption boundary condition(ABC)in the finite difference time domain generalized for the PSTD,and the weighted total field/scattered field(TF/SF)technique is employed to introduce the incident light into 3 D computational domain.To improve computational efficiency,the model is further parallelized using the Open MP technique.The modeling accuracy of the PSTD scheme is validated against Lorenz–Mie,Aden–Kerker,T-matrix theory and DDA for spheres,inhomogeneous particles and nonspherical particles,and the influence of the spatial resolution and thickness of ADE-PML on the modeling accuracy is discussed as well.Finally,the parallel computational efficiency of the model is also analyzed.The results show that an excellent agreement is achieved between the results of PSTD and well-tested scattering models,where the simulation errors of extinction efficiencies are generally smaller than 1%,indicating the high accuracy of our model.Despite its low spatial resolution,reliable modeling precision can still be achieved by using the PSTD technique,especially for large particles.To suppress the electromagnetic wave reflected by the absorption layers,a six-layer ADE-PML should be set in the computational domain at least.

STUDY ON SEGMENTED POLYURETHANE WITH MIXED SOFT SEGMENTS OF POLYCHLOROMETHYL METHYL SILOXANE AND POLYTETRAMETHYLENE OXIDE

Two series of polyurethanes based on mixed polychloromethyl methyl siloxane and poly-tetramethylene oxide in different weight fractions were synthesized. The phase separation ofsamples was studied using DSC and dynamic mechanical property analysis. The results showedthat the introduction of chloromethyl group into polysiloxane increased its polarity and henceimproved the miscibilities with polytetramethylene oxide and polyurethane hard segment.Particularly, in the case of N-methyldiethanolamine extended materials, the surface and tensileproperties of these samples can be adjusted by various ratios of two soft segments.

Study on the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch

Direct current plasma torches have been applied to generate unique sources of thermal energy in many industrial applications. Nevertheless, the successful ignition of a plasma torch is the key process to generate the unique source （plasma jet）. However, there has been tittle study on the underlying mechanism of this key process. A thorough understanding of the ignition process of a plasma torch will be helpful for optimizing the design of the plasma torch structure and selection of the ignition parameters to prolong the service life of the ignition module. Thus, in this paper, the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch （SPT） is theoretically and experimentally modeled and analyzed. Corresponding electrical models of different stages of the ignition process axe set up and used to derive the electrical parameters, e.g. the variations of the arc voltage and arc current between the cathode and anode. In addition, the experiments with different ignition parameters on a home-made SPT have been conducted. At the same time, the variations of the arc voltage and arc current have been measured, and used to verify the ones derived in theory and to determine the optimal ignition parameters for a particular SPT.

THERMALLY STIMULATED SHAPE MEMORY BEHAVIOR OF(ETHYLENE OXIDE-BUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE)SEGMENTED COPOLYMER

The thermally stimulated shape memory behavior of ethylene oxide-butylene terephthalate (EOBT) segmented copolymers with different soft segment molecular weight and hard segment content was investigated. The deformation recovery ratio R-f of the EOBT samples increases with the soft segment molecular weight and the hard segment weight content, while the average overall deformation recovery speed V-r increases with the hard segment content. The temperature of maximum deformation recovery speed (T-M) is determined by the melting temperature of the soft segment crystals and the stability of the crystallized hard segment domains.

Segmented sedentary time and physical activity patterns throughout the week from wrist-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers among children 7-12 years old

Background:This study examined the volume and patterns of physical activity(PA) and sedentary time(ST) across different segments of the week among boys and girls.Methods:A total of 188 children aged 7-12 years wore a wrist-mounted ActiGraph GT3 X+accelerometer for 7 days.Time spent in PA and ST was calculated using ActiLife software.The mean number of minutes of light PA,moderate PA,vigorous PA,moderate-to-vigorous PA(MVPA),and ST were calculated per weekday(before school,during school,and after school) and per weekend day(morning and afternoon-evening).Results:After school represented the greatest accumulation of ST compared with before school and during school segments.Boys engaged in225.4 min/day of ST(95% confidence interval(CI):216-235),and girls engaged in 222.2 min/day of ST(95%CI:213-231).During school,boys engaged in significantly more MVPA than girls(46.1 min/day(95%CI:44-48) vs.40.7 min/day(95%CI:39-43)).Across the whole weekday,boys participated in significantly more MVPA than girls(103.9 min/day(95%CI:99-109) vs.95.7 min/day(95%CI:90-101)).The weekend afternoon—evening segment represented the larger accumulation of ST,where boys were significantly more sedentary than girls(367.5 min/day(95%CI:353-382) vs.339.8 min/day(95%CI:325-355),respectively).Conclusion:Our findings suggest that children are highly sedentary and spend little of their time in school in MVPA,especially girls.Routine breaks in school elicit increases in light PA and MVPA.Future work should consider the use of more active breaks within school time to encourage PA and reduce ST.

Segmented tubular synthesis of monodispersed microsized copper oxalate

Monodispersed microsized copper oxalate particles were prepared in a segmented continuous flow tube reactor, and the effect of the main parameters such as organic additive agent, initial copper ions concentration, residence time, and segmented media on the final products were investigated experimentally. The obtained copper oxalate microsized particles were disc-like in the presence of citrate ligand,which was the shape inducer for the precipitated copper oxalate. Thermodynamic equilibrium diagrams of the Cu(Ⅱ)-oxalate-H_2O,Cu(Ⅱ)-oxalate-citrate-H_2O, and Cu(Ⅱ)-oxalate-EDTA-H_2O solution systems were drawn to estimate the possible copper species under the experimental conditions and to explain the formation mechanisms of copper oxalate particles in the segmented fluidic reactor. Both theoretical and experimental results indicated that the presence of chelating reagents such as citrate and EDTA had distinct effect on the evolution of particle shape. Air and kerosene were tested as media for the fluidic flow segmentation, and the latter was verified to better promote the growth of copper oxalate particles. The present study provides an easy method to prepare monodispersed copper oxalate microsized particles in a continuous scaling-up way, which can be utilized to prepare the precursor material for conductive inks.

Coexisting hidden attractors in a 4D segmented disc dynamo with one stable equilibrium or a line equilibrium

This paper introduces a four-dimensional （4D） segmented disc dynamo which possesses coexisting hidden attractors with one stable equilibrium or a line equilibrium when parameters vary. In addition, by choosing an appropriate bifurcation parameter, the paper proves that Hopf bifurcation and pitchfork bifurcation occur in the system. The ultimate bound is also estimated. Some numerical investigations are also exploited to demonstrate and visualize the corresponding theoretical results.

Plasma discharge characteristics of segmented diverter strips subject to lightning strike

In order to research segmented diverters for aircraft lightning protection, a transient 2 D multiphysics model based on magnetohydrodynamics theory is proposed to predict the location of the arc plasma discharge and lightning channel, and to simulate the electrothermal behavior.Based on numerical calculation and preliminary analysis, factors that affect the breakdown voltage of the segmented diverter are discussed. The results show that the voltage increase rate of the voltage source, the width of the air gap between metal segments and the geometry of these segments influence the breakdown voltage of the strip. High-voltage tests of the segmented diverter are performed to reveal air breakdown of the strip and redirect the lightning current.Experimental and numerical results are compared to verify the correctness of the numerical model. The ionization of the air gap between metal segments and the breakdown voltage of the strip calculated by the model are qualitatively consistent with experimental results. The breakdown voltage of the segmented diverter is far lower than the lightning voltage. When a lightning strike occurs, the segmented diverter can be quickly ionized to form a plasma channel which can guide the lightning current well.

Accuracy of eight intraocular lens power calculation formulas for segmented multifocal intraocular lens

AIM:To evaluate the accuracy of eight different intraocular lens(IOL)power calculation formulas for a segmented multifocal IOL.METHODS:A total of 53 eyes of 41 adult cataract patients who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation with the SBL-3 segmented multifocal IOL between January 1,2017 and January 31,2019 were included in this retrospective study.Preoperative biometry measurements were obtained using an IOL Master.Manifest refraction was performed at least 4 wk postoperatively.Accuracy of the eight formulas[Barrett Universal II,Emmetropia Verifying Optical(EVO),Haigis,Hill-RBF 2.0,Hoffer Q,Holladay 1,Kane,and SRK/T]was analyzed.RESULTS:Using current lens constants,all formulas exhibited errors of slight myopic shift in refractive prediction.The Barrett Universal II formula had a significantly lower median absolute error(MedAE)than did Holladay 1(P=0.02),Kane(P=0.001)and Hill-RBF 2.0(P<0.001)formulas.The Haigis formula had a lower MedAE value than did the Hill-RBF 2.0 formula(P=0.005).Differences in MedAE values among SRK/T,EVO and Hoffer Q formulas were not significant.After optimizing lens constants,the MedAE values of all formulas were reduced;significant changes were noted for EVO(P=0.022),Haigis(P=0.048);Hill-RBF 2.0(P=0.014),Holladay 1(P=0.045)and Kane(P=0.022)formulas.All formulas performed equally well after optimization of lens constants(P=0.203).CONCLUSION:All eight formulas tend to result in a myopic shift when using current lens constants.Optimized lens constants improve the accuracy of these formulas among adult Chinese patients.

SYNTHETIC STUDIES ON BLOOD COMPATIBLE BIOMATERIALS Ⅲ. SYNTHESIS, CHARAC-TERIZATION AND ANTITHROMBOGENICITY OF DIMETHYLDIPHEN YLPOLYSILOXANE/POLY (OXYTETRAM ETHYLENE)-POLYUREA SEGMENTED COPOLYMERS

A novel class of segmented copolymers, dimethyldiphenylpolysiloxane/poly (oxytetramethylene)-polyurea (PSPEU), was synthesized from α , ω-bis (γ-aminopropyl) dimethyldiphenylpolysiloxane (APMPS), which was prepared by means of basic ring-opening copolymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, hexaphenylcyclotrisiloxane and 1, 3-bis (γ-aminopropyl) tetramethyl disiloxane. The relationships between the diphenylsiloxy contents and the properties of APMPS, including refractive index, glass transition temperature, solubility parameter as well as thermal stability, were investigated; meanwhile, the thermal stability, dynamic mechanical properties, mechanical properiesas well as the antithrombogenicity in vitro of the PSPEU were also revealed.

Laboratory Research on Effective Test Area of Short-Crested Waves Generated by Two-Sided Segmented Wavemakers

The size and shape of the effective test area are crucial to consider when short-crested waves are created by segmented wavemakers. The range of the effective test area of short-crested waves simulated by two-sided segmented wavemakers is analyzed in this paper. The experimental investigation on the wave field distribution of short-crested waves generated by two-sided segmented wavemakers is conducted by using an array of wave gauges. Wave spectra and directional spreading function are analyzed and the results show that when the main direction is at a certain angle with the normal line of wave generators, the wave field of 3D short-crested waves generated by two-sided segmented wavemakers has good spatial uniformity within the model test area. The effective test area can provide good wave environments for seakeeping model tests of various ocean engineering structures in the deep ocean engineering basin.

Seismic Analysis of the Connections of Buried Segmented Pipes

Seismic analysis of buried pipes has been one study focus during the last decades,but the systematic seismic research of pipe connections,especially its relationship with the connected straight pipe,is nearly blank.On the basis,the influence of pipe connections on the joint deformations(JDs)of buried segmented pipes is analyzed in detail by considering different parameters,namely,connection shapes,ground conditions,pipe diameters,branch angles,seismic incident angles,and input ground motions.Moreover,an influence coefficient,which measures the influence of pipe connections on pipe JDs,is calculated.Results show that pipe connections can reduce the JDs of segmented pipes by 40%-50%.Furthermore,the JD is more sensitive to the connection shape,ground condition and pipe diameter than the incident angle and characteristics of seismic waves.An influence coefficient of 0.65 is recommended conservatively for the design of the buried segmented pipes.

Chebyshev Pseudo-Spectral Method for Solving Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equation

Fractional differential equations have recently been applied in various areas of engineering, science, finance, applied mathematics, bio-engineering and others. However, many researchers remain unaware of this field. In this paper, an efficient numerical method for solving the fractional Advection-dispersion equation (ADE) is considered. The fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense. The method is based on Chebyshev approximations. The properties of Chebyshev polynomials are used to reduce ADE to a system of ordinary differential equations, which are solved using the finite difference method (FDM). Moreover, the convergence analysis and an upper bound of the error for the derived formula are given. Numerical solutions of ADE are presented and the results are compared with the exact solution.

Research on Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Optimization Based on Segmented AGV

As a typical transportation tool in the intelligent manufacturing system,Automatic Guided Vehicle(AGV)plays an indispensable role in the automatic production process of the workshop.Therefore,integrating AGV resources into production scheduling has become a research hotspot.For the scheduling problem of the flexible job shop adopting segmented AGV,a dual-resource scheduling optimization mathematical model of machine tools and AGVs is established by minimizing the maximum completion time as the objective function,and an improved genetic algorithmis designed to solve the problem in this study.The algorithmdesigns a two-layer codingmethod based on process coding and machine tool coding and embeds the task allocation of AGV into the decoding process to realize the real dual resource integrated scheduling.When initializing the population,three strategies are designed to ensure the diversity of the population.In order to improve the local search ability and the quality of the solution of the genetic algorithm,three neighborhood structures are designed for variable neighborhood search.The superiority of the improved genetic algorithmand the influence of the location and number of transfer stations on scheduling results are verified in two cases.

Comparison of finite difference and pseudo-spectral methods in forward modelling based on metal ore model of random media

With more applications of seismic exploration in metal ore exploration,forward modelling of seismic wave has become more important in metal ore. Finite difference method and pseudo-spectral method are two important methods of wave-field simulation. Results of previous studies show that both methods have distinct advantages and disadvantages: Finite difference method has high precision but its dispersion is serious; pseudospectral method considers both computational efficiency and precision but has less precision than finite-difference. The authors consider the complex structural characteristics of the metal ore,furthermore add random media in order to simulate the complex effects produced by metal ore for wave field. First,the study introduced the theories of random media and two forward modelling methods. Second,it compared the simulation results of two methods on fault model. Then the authors established a complex metal ore model,added random media and compared computational efficiency and precision. As a result,it is found that finite difference method is better than pseudo-spectral method in precision and boundary treatment,but the computational efficiency of pseudospectral method is slightly higher than the finite difference method.