We propose a theoretic model of software reliability where the fault detection rate is a stochastic process. This formulation provides the flexibility in modeling the random environment effects in ...testing software data. We examine two particular cases: additive and multiplicative noise and provide explicit representations for the expected number of software failures. Examples are included to demonstrate the formulas for specific choices of time dependent total number of faults and distribution of noise.
In this paper we study a two person zero sum stochastic differential game in weak formulation. Unlike the standard literature, which uses strategy type controls, the weak formulation allows us to ...consider the game with control against control. We shall prove the existence of game value under natural conditions. Another main feature of the paper is that we allow for non-Markovian structure, and thus the game value is a random process. We characterize the value process as the unique viscosity solution of the corresponding path dependent Bellman--Isaacs equation, a notion recently introduced by Ekren et al. Ann. Probab. , 42 (2014), pp. 204--236 and Ekren, Touzi, and Zhang Stochastic Process. , to appear; preprint, arXiv:1210.0006v2; preprint, arXiv:1210.0007v2.
The evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) networks has been studied owing to the associated benefits in useful applications. Although the evolution is highly helpful, the increasing day-to-day ...demands of mobile users have led to immense requirements for further performance improvements such as efficient spectrum utilization, massive device connectivity, and high data rates. Fortunately, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) techniques have recently been introduced as two possible current-generation emerging technologies with immense potential of addressing the above-mentioned issues. In this paper, we propose the integration of RIS to the existing techniques (i.e., NOMA and relaying) to further enhance the performance for mobile users. We focus on a performance analysis of two-user group by exploiting two main performance metrics including outage probability and ergodic capacity. We provide closed-form expressions for both performance metrics to highlight how NOMA-aided RIS systems provide more benefits compared with the benchmark based on traditional orthogonal multiple access (OMA). Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to validate the correctness of obtained expressions. The simulations show that power allocation factors assigned to two users play a major role in the formation of a performance gap among two users rather than the setting of RIS. In particular, the strong user achieves optimal outage behavior when it is allocated 35% transmit power.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a human pathogenic virus that encodes for a helicase (SC2Hel) that is essential for viral replication. SC2Hel has the ability to ...unravel dsRNA or dsDNA in an NTP-dependent manner from the 5′ to 3′ directionality. The standard helicase assay from studies involving SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have relied on the concept of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Adding to the collection of helicase assays, herein, we have developed a novel tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay system for the detection of ADP that is produced via SC2Hel activity. This SC2Hel assay combines three enzyme-coupled steps involving the ADP-dependent Thermococcus litoralis glucokinase (TlGlcK), Leuconostoc mesenteroides glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (LmG6PDH), and Clostridium kluyveri diaphorase (CkDIA). Iodonitrotetrazolium chloride (INT), a colorimetric tetrazolium reagent, was used in the final step of the assay that converted into INT-formazan during reduction. INT-formazan in the assay’s buffered solution at pH 7.6 exhibited an intense colorimetric response at a wavelength maximum of 505 nm. The assay exhibited excellent performance characteristics as it revealed a Z’ factor of 0.87 and it has the potential to be further adopted into high-throughput screening studies for therapeutic drug discovery research.
This paper recommends a simultaneous jamming-and-transmitting scheme for spectrum-sharing relaying networks with nonlinear energy scavenging. More specifically, spectrum-sharing relaying networks ...include a secondary source which expects to communicate with a secondary destination but impossible due to communication blockage between them, a secondary relay which helps the source overcome this blockage, a primary receiver, and a wiretapper which steals secret messages from both source and relay. To motivate assistance, the relay scavenges radio frequency energy from the source with practical nonlinear energy scavenger (NL-ES) instead of linear energy scavenger (L-ES) as in previous publications. Additionally, both source and relay perform simultaneous jamming-and-transmitting to secure their communication. The intercept and outage probabilities of the recommended scheme are evaluated through exact closed-form formulas, which are corroborated by Monte-Carlo simulations. Illustrative results show that the proposed scheme offers the reliability-security trade-off yet suffers error floor at large maximum transmit/interference power. Moreover, its performance can be optimally set with appropriate system parameters. Notably, the proposed scheme can guarantee absolute security with proper parameter setting. Furthermore, the NL-ES is practical but performs significantly worse than the L-ES.
The differentiation of surgical from nonsurgical adult intussusception may enable the appropriate selection of management strategies.
This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic potential of ...multidetector computed tomography (MCDT) features to differentiate surgical from nonsurgical adult intussusception and develop a diagnostic model.
A retrospective study was performed on 96 patients with intussusceptions at the University Medical Center Hospital between January 2014 and January 2020. Two radiologists reviewed all images, and intussusception characteristics were documented. The location of intussusception, length, diameter, interposed fat thickness, lead point, and complications were evaluated. Based on the results, a diagnostic tree model was developed to differentiate between surgical and nonsurgical adult intussusception.
A total of 99 intussusceptions in 96 patients (mean age: 53.0 ± 16.5 years), including 35 (35.3%) enteroenteric, 27 (27.3%) enterocolic, and 37 (37.4%) colocolic lesions, were evaluated. Of the enteroenteric intussusceptions, 22 (62.9%) were surgical, including 19 (79.2%) with lead points. Among colon intussusceptions, 63 (98.4%) were surgical, and 100% had lead points. The characteristics used to predict surgical intussusceptions included lead point presence, length ≥ 5.0 cm, diameter ≥ 3.2 cm, interposed fat thickness ≥ 0.5 cm, and complications (p < 0.001). Based on these features, we established a diagnostic tree model that correctly classified 96 (97%) of 99 lesions.
Our study reinforces the importance of MDCT for the diagnosis and guided management of adult intussusceptions. The characteristics that predicted surgical intussusceptions included lead points, length, diameter, interposed fat thickness, and complications. A systematic approach using this diagnostic tree model could be used to distinguish surgical and nonsurgical adult intussusception.
The next generation of wireless systems has benefits in terms of spectrum and energy inefficiencies by exploiting two promising techniques including Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) and ...Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). The scenario of two legitimate users existing together with an eavesdropper is worth examining in terms of secure matter while enabling machine learning tools at the base station for expected improvement. The base station deals with a highly complicated algorithm to adjust parameters against the attack of eavesdroppers and to better improve the secure performance of mobile users. This paper suggests a better solution to allow the base station to predict performance at destinations to adjust necessary parameters such as power allocation coefficients properly. To this end, we propose a deep neural network (DNN)-based approach which also leverages the benefits of aerial RIS to achieve predictable performance and significant secure performance improvement could be enhanced. We first derive the formulations for security outage probability (SOP) in closed-form expressions and analyze the strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC), which are crucial performance metrics to determine how the systems are against the existence of eavesdroppers. Such eavesdroppers intend to overhear signal transmission dedicated to intended users and incur degraded system performance. The numerical simulations are expected to evaluate how the machine learning tool works with the traditional computation of system performance metrics which is able to be verified by comparing with the Monte-Carlo method. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the design of a higher number of meta-surface elements at the RIS, as well as a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels at the base station, are key parameters to achieving improved security performance for users. For detailed guidelines of the RIS-NOMA aided system, we provide a table of parameters samples resulting in secure performance as expected.
This study utilizes the discrete element method (DEM) to explore the thermal–mechanical coupling behavior of slate. Initially, a series of triaxial compression tests are conducted on slate specimens ...with varying orientation angles, temperatures, and confining pressures. Subsequently, the DEM is employed to replicate the mechanical and failure characteristics of the slate under identical laboratory conditions. The DEM constitutive models incorporate the parallel bond model for the rock matrix and the smooth-joint model for foliation. A thermal-degradation function for the parallel bond model is proposed, reasonably capturing the temperature's effect on the strength and failure characteristics of the slate. The simulation results exhibit a series of U-shaped curves in peak strength at different orientation angles, mirroring experimental findings. The study's findings indicate that orientation angles significantly influence the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of slate. Elevated temperatures have minimal effects on strength anisotropy. Furthermore, applying high confining pressure is observed to mitigate the impact of high temperatures on bond weakening. This proposed method provides a useful tool for tunnel designs and geothermal energy development.
This study aimed to evaluate the subsurface drainage of a permeable friction course (PFC) via two-dimensional finite element analysis. To achieve the scope, PFCs with equivalent water flow paths of ...length values of 10, 15, 20, and 30 m and slope values of 0.5%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% were modelled based on FEniCS and implemented entirely in Python programing language to extract the time for surface ponding according to a range of rainfall intensities. The results show that when the rainfall intensity and the length of equivalent water flow path of the PFC rose, the time for surface ponding decreased. For instance, with a rainfall intensity of 10 mm/h and a slope of 0.5%, when the length of equivalent water flow path increased by 20 m, the time for surface ponding dropped by 21 min. Moreover, when the slope of the equivalent water flow path and the thickness of the PFC increased, the time for surface ponding increased. For instance, with a rainfall intensity of 10 mm/h, and a PFC with an equivalent length of 10 m, when the slope increased by 16 times, the time for surface ponding increased more than two times. The current study highlights that the thickness of the PFC has the most influence on subsurface drainage. The findings of this study indicate that at high rainfall intensities, the subsurface drainage of a PFC is not sensitive to its geometric design. Further experimental investigations are needed to evaluate and validate the subsurface drainage of a PFC considering permeability, rutting, and environmental factors.
Addressing child disruptive behavior in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is challenging. Therapist-facilitated, multisession, brief, online group parent training offers hope for mitigating ...this issue. However, trials, particularly in Asia, are limited.
This study primarily assessed the effectiveness of Brief Behavior Parent Training Vietnam (BBPTV) in reducing child disruptive behavior.
This study was a randomized controlled trial involving 109 Vietnamese parents (mean age = 34.1, 96 % were mothers) of preschool children displaying ongoing disruptive behaviors. Interventions included the BBPTV group (n = 56) receiving a therapist-facilitated, four-session program conducted through online group meetings and the care-as-usual (CAU) group (n = 53) having a 15 min individual online consultation. Primary outcomes, assessed online at two and six months postintervention, encompassed the intensity and frequency of children's disruptive problems. Secondary outcomes involved parenting practices, coercive interactions, marital conflicts, parenting self-efficacy, and parental mental health.
In contrast to CAU, the BBPTV group showed lower child disruptive intensity, reduced parent-child coercive interactions, and diminished marital conflicts, with a higher score in involving parenting two months post-intervention. Six months postintervention, BBPTV also exhibited significantly lower scores in child disruptive intensity and problems, harsh parenting, and coercive processes compared to CAU.
The therapist-facilitated, four-session, internet-delivered group parent intervention resulted in superior and sustained improvements in child disruptive behavior, parenting practices, and parent-child coercive interaction compared to usual care, highlighting the potential for online BBPT to extend mental health care in Vietnam and other LMICs.
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