A novel synchronization analysis method is developed to solve the complete synchronization problem of many Boolean networks (BNs) coupled in the leader-follower configuration. First, an error system ...is constructed in terms of the algebraic representation using the semitensor product of matrices. Then, the synchronization problem of coupled BNs is converted into a problem whether all the trajectories of the error system are convergent to the zero vector. Second, according to the structure analysis of this error system, which is in the form of a switched system with leader BN states as the switching signal, a necessary and sufficient synchronization condition is derived. An algorithm is developed, which helps to determine as soon as possible whether complete synchronization among coupled BNs is achieved. Finally, a constructive design approach to follower BNs is provided. All of these follower BNs designed by our approach can completely synchronize with a given leader BN from the (T t + 1)th step at most, where T t is the transient period of the leader BN.
As an important mathematical model, the finite state machine (FSM) has been used in many fields, such as manufacturing system, health care, and so on. This paper analyzes the current development ...status of FSMs. It is pointed out that the traditional methods are often inconvenient for analysis and design, or encounter high computational complexity problems when studying FSMs.
The deep Q-network (DQN) technique, which is a model-free optimization method, is introduced to solve the stabilization problem of probabilistic finite state machines (PFSMs). In order to better understand the technique, some preliminaries, including Markov decision process, ϵ-greedy strategy, DQN, and so on, are recalled.
First, a necessary and sufficient stabilizability condition for PFSMs is derived. Next, the feedback stabilization problem of PFSMs is transformed into an optimization problem. Finally, by using the stabilizability condition and deep Q-network, an algorithm for solving the optimization problem (equivalently, computing a state feedback stabilizer) is provided.
Compared with the traditional Q learning, DQN avoids the limited capacity problem. So our method can deal with high-dimensional complex systems efficiently. The effectiveness of our method is further demonstrated through an illustrative example.
A good intelligent learning model is the key to complete recognition of scene information and accurate recognition of specific targets in intelligent unmanned system. This study proposes a new ...associative memory model based on the semi-tensor product (STP) of matrices, to address the problems of information storage capacity and association. First, some preliminaries are introduced to facilitate modeling, and the problem of information storage capacity in the application of discrete Hopfield neural network (DHNN) to associative memory is pointed out. Second, learning modes are equivalently converted into their algebraic forms by using STP. A memory matrix is constructed to accurately remember these learning modes. Furthermore, an algorithm for updating the memory matrix is developed to improve the association ability of the model. And another algorithm is provided to show how our model learns and associates. Finally, some examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of our results. Compared with mainstream DHNNs, our model can remember learning modes more accurately with fewer nodes.
Purpose
Evidence about bone microarchitecture in Asian type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients is lacking. We assessed the bone microarchitecture in T1D patients versus controls and compare the differences ...between juvenile-onset and adult-onset T1D patients.
Methods
This cross-sectional study recruited 32 Asian males with T1D and 32 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) for ultradistal nondominant radius and tibia were performed. The data were analyzed using Student’s
t
test and analysis of covariance.
Results
Among the patients, 15 had juvenile-onset T1D, with a median disease duration of 11 years, and 17 had adult-onset T1D, with a median disease duration of 7 years. At the radius, adult-onset and juvenile-onset T1D patients had lower total volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), trabecular vBMD, trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) (
p
< 0.05) than the control subjects. After adjusting for BMI, disease duration, and insulin dose, juvenile-onset patients tended to have lower trabecular vBMD, BV/TV, Tb.Th, and intracortical porosity (Ct.Po) than adult-onset patients. At the tibia, adult-onset patients displayed lower total vBMD, lower Ct. vBMD, and higher Ct.Po (
p
< 0.05), while juvenile-onset patients had lower Tb.Th and standard deviation of trabecular number (1/Tb.N.SD) (
p
< 0.05) than control subjects. After adjustment for covariates, adult-onset patients tended to have higher cortical pore diameter (Ct.Po.Dm) than juvenile-onset patients.
Conclusions
T1D patients were associated with compromised bone microarchitecture, adult-onset and juvenile-onset T1D patients demonstrated some differences in cortical and trabecular microarchitecture.
Abstract
In this paper, a typical negative Poisson’s ratio lattice structure was studied and several diagonally reinforced 3D lattice structures were designed and analysed using the finite element ...method. On this basis, the fatigue life of the unreinforced and reinforced structures was calculated using SIMULIA Fe-safe software. Meanwhile, the fatigue failure process of the lattice structure was systematically simulated and quantitatively analysed by combining the multiaxial fatigue damage model. Results show that the enhancement design from the cell structure can provide an anti-diagonal shear enhancement effect. The structure A, B, and C can decrease the maximum von Mises stress by 95.8, 97.1, and 94.66%, and increase the compressibility by 80%, 56%, and 127%, respectively. The structure A enhancement yields the best overall performance in terms of structural stress, compressibility, and negative Poisson’s ratio properties enhancement. Compared with the unreinforced structure, the lifetime distribution of the structure A reinforced structure changes in both position and level. The overall lifetime has been improved from 10
2.813
of the unreinforced structure to 10
7
of the reinforced structure. Quantitative calculation of the fatigue damage is consistent with the fatigue life prediction results, which further validate the effectiveness of the diagonal enhancement method and the enhancement structure of the negative Poisson’s ratio lattice structure.
The objective of the study was to investigate the value of anti-α-enolase antibody (Ab) combined with RDW in evaluating the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Levels of serum ...anti-α-enolase Ab and RDW were detected in 193 SLE patients and 98 healthy controls by ELISA and automatic blood cell counter (XN9000), respectively. Furthermore, the correlation between anti-α-enolase Ab and RDW in evaluating the activity of SLE was evaluated by correlation analysis. The level of anti-α-enolase Ab (9.16 ± 0.44 ng/mL in stable group and 10.26 ± 0.36 ng/mL in activity group) was significantly higher than that in the healthy control (7.05 ± 0.27 ng/mL). The level of RDW (12.92% ± 1.23% in stable group and 13.57% ± 2.12% in activity group) was significantly higher than that in the healthy control (12.46% ± 0.61%). The levels of anti-α-enolase Ab or RDW in SLE patients were positively correlated with SLEDAI-2 K score (
r
= 0.75,
r
= 0.73), respectively. Compared with the anti-α-enolase Ab (AUC: 78.0%) or RDW (AUC:80.0%) alone, anti-α-enolase Ab combined with RDW (AUC: 81.0%) had the best of the effectiveness of evaluating activity of SLE. These data suggested that combined anti-α-enolase Ab with RDW might be good biomarker to predict the activity of SLE in clinical.
Abstract
Hydrogen blended with natural gas is one of the best ways for large-scale hydrogen transportation; however, pipeline steels exploited for transferring natural gas have the risk of hydrogen ...embrittlement. Therefore, the hydrogen damage mechanism and resistance property of different steel pipelines should be carefully examined to select suitable materials for the task mentioned above. The common X42, X52, X70, and AISI 1020 are taken into account as research objects. Their mechanical properties and hydrogen absorption properties in a hydrogen environment are investigated to explore further factors affecting the hydrogen embrittlement of material. Dynamic slow strain rate tensile test results show that these materials exhibit varying hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity in a hydrogen environment. AISI 1020 has the highest hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility, then X70, and X42 presents the lowest one. Generally, hydrogen embrittlement behaviours are strengthened by increasing the current density. As the current density grows, the fracture mode of pipeline steels transforms from the ductile fracture to the quasi-cleavage fracture and finally turns into the cleavage fracture. The hydrogen embrittlement fracture of the tensile specimen results from the action of the HEDE and HELP in various zones. TDS test results indicates that the content of C and Mn significantly influence on the hydrogen solubility in metal materials.
Understanding the changes and interactions between landscape patterns and land use/land cover (LULC) in drinking water source protection areas (DWSPAs) is fundamentally important for effective land ...management to ensure landscape sustainability and the protection of water quality. However, there is limited research on LULC changes, landscape patterns and the relationship between them in DWSPAs. This study focused on the DWSPAs of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, one of the most important water sources in China. Four LULC maps (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) were extracted to study the temporal-spatial relationship between landscape patterns and LULC. According to the results of the change processes and trends, a series of dramatic changes occurred in the LULC, including percentage decreases in cultivated land (10.31%) and water bodies (20.23%) and a percentage increase in built-up land (116.96%). A comprehensive index for Status, Direction, and Trend with a value of 0.66 indicated an imbalanced and one-way transition in the study region. The Aggregation index metric decreased from 98.2885 to 98.2120, and the Simpson's diversity index metric increased from 0.7161 to 0.7369, which suggested a diversification and fragmentation of the landscape trends. The relationship analysis revealed that the changes in the LULC due to protection measures were the driving factors of the variation in landscape patterns, especially in cultivated land and water bodies. These insights on LULC changes, landscape pattern variations, and temporal-spatial relationships have important implications for future land-use planning polices and environmental activities.
•We assessed landscape and land use/land cover changes in a drinking water source protection area.•Land use/land cover varied greatly with an imbalanced, one-way transitional pattern.•The drinking water source protection areas of Danjiangkou Reservoir had fragmentized and diverse landscapes.•Landscape variation and division were driven by cultivated land and water bodies.•Land use/land cover Changes due to protection efforts affected landscape pattern.
Based on the actual operation parameters and temperature-dependent material properties of a gas turbine unit, composite cooling blade model and corresponding reliable boundary conditions were ...established. Transient thermal-fluid-solid coupling simulations were then comprehensively conducted to analyze the transient flow and the temperature field of the blade under startup, shutdown, and variable loads condition. Combined with the obtained transient temperature data, the non-linear finite element method was exploited to examine the effect of these transient operations on the turbine blade thermal stress characteristics. Results show that the temperature and pressure on the blade surface increase with the load level and vice versa. As the startup process progresses, the film cooling effectiveness and the heat convection of airflows inside the blade continuously grow; high-temperature areas on the pressure surface and along the trailing edge of the blade tip gradually disappear. Locally high-temperature zones with the maximum of 1280 K are generated at the air inlet and outlet of the blade platform and the leading edge of the blade tip. The high thermal stresses detected on the higher temperature side of the temperature gradient are commonly generated in places with large temperature gradients and significant geometry variations. For the startup/shutdown process, the rate of increase/decrease of the thermal stress is positively correlated with the load variation rate. A slight variation rate of the load (1.52%/min) can lead to an apparent alteration (41%) to the thermal stress. In operations under action of the variable load, although thermal stress is less sensitive to the load variation, the rising or falling rate of the exerted load still needs to be carefully controlled due to the highly leveled thermal stresses.
Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO) is an inherited disease characterized by digital clubbing, periostosis, and pachydermia. Based on two causative genes, hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase ...(HPGD) and solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 2A1 (SLCO2A1), PHO is categorized into two subtypes: hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, primary, autosomal recessive 1 (PHOAR1) and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, primary, autosomal recessive 2 (PHOAR2). In this study, we summarized the clinical manifestations and analyzed SLCO2A1 gene in 23 PHOAR2 patients in our center. As a result, 18 patients displayed complete phenotypes of PHO with digital clubbing, periostosis, and pachydermia. 29 mutations were found in total, and 22 of them were novel mutations including 13 missense, three nonsense, four deletion, one frame-shift and one splicing site mutations. Compared with nine PHOAR1 patients we previously reported, PHO patients with SLCO2A1 mutations were all male and presented with a later onset age. Peptic ulcers and myelofibrosis occurred only in PHOAR2 patients. The urinary level of prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGEM) is significantly higher in PHOAR2 patients than that in PHOAR1 group. In conclusion, this study was the largest cohort to date to summarize PHOAR2 patients and to assess the phenotypic difference between two subtypes of PHO. The difference of urinary PGEM concentration between two subtypes is helpful for the differential diagnosis of PHO.
•The largest cohort of 23 patients with SLCO2A1 mutations was described.•22 novel mutations in SLCO2A1 gene were demonstrated.•Phenotypic differences between PHOAR1 and PHOAR2 patients were assessed.•The measurement of urinary PGEM is more useful for clinical diagnosis of PHO.
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