This article establishes a new multiunmanned aerial vehicle (multi-UAV)-enabled mobile edge computing (MEC) system, where a number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are deployed as flying edge ...clouds for large-scale mobile users. In this system, we need to optimize the deployment of UAVs, by considering their number and locations. At the same time, to provide good services for all mobile users, it is necessary to optimize task scheduling. Specifically, for each mobile user, we need to determine whether its task is executed locally or on a UAV (i.e., offloading decision), and how many resources should be allocated (i.e., resource allocation). This article presents a two-layer optimization method for jointly optimizing the deployment of UAVs and task scheduling, with the aim of minimizing system energy consumption. By analyzing this system, we obtain the following property: the number of UAVs should be as small as possible under the condition that all tasks can be completed. Based on this property, in the upper layer, we propose a differential evolution algorithm with an elimination operator to optimize the deployment of UAVs, in which each individual represents a UAV's location and the entire population represents an entire deployment of UAVs. During the evolution, we first determine the maximum number of UAVs. Subsequently, the elimination operator gradually reduces the number of UAVs until at least one task cannot be executed under delay constraints. This process achieves an adaptive adjustment of the number of UAVs. In the lower layer, based on the given deployment of UAVs, we transform the task scheduling into a 0-1 integer programming problem. Due to the large-scale characteristic of this 0-1 integer programming problem, we propose an efficient greedy algorithm to obtain the near-optimal solution with much less time. The effectiveness of the proposed two-layer optimization method and the established multi-UAV-enabled MEC system is demonstrated on ten instances with up to 1000 mobile users.
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic presents a global challenge for managing acutely ill patients and complications from viral infection. Systemic inflammation accompanied by a ...“cytokine storm,” hemostasis alterations and severe vasculitis have all been reported to occur with COVID‐19, and emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation of lipid transport may contribute to some of these complications. Here, we aim to summarize the current understanding of the potential mechanisms related to COVID‐19 dyslipidemia and propose possible adjunctive type therapeutic approaches that modulate lipids and lipoproteins. Specifically, we hypothesize that changes in the quantity and composition of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) that occurs with COVID‐19 can significantly decrease the anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidative functions of HDL and could contribute to pulmonary inflammation. Furthermore, we propose that lipoproteins with oxidized phospholipids and fatty acids could lead to virus‐associated organ damage via overactivation of innate immune scavenger receptors. Restoring lipoprotein function with ApoA‐I raising agents or blocking relevant scavenger receptors with neutralizing antibodies could, therefore, be of value in the treatment of COVID‐19. Finally, we discuss the role of omega‐3 fatty acids transported by lipoproteins in generating specialized proresolving mediators and how together with anti‐inflammatory drugs, they could decrease inflammation and thrombotic complications associated with COVID‐19.
We use Pontryagin’s minimum principle to optimize variational quantum algorithms. We show that for a fixed computation time, the optimal evolution has a bang-bang (square pulse) form, both for closed ...and open quantum systems with Markovian decoherence. Our findings support the choice of evolution ansatz in the recently proposed quantum approximate optimization algorithm. Focusing on the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass as an example, we find a system-size independent distribution of the duration of pulses, with characteristic time scale set by the inverse of the coupling constants in the Hamiltonian. The optimality of the bang-bang protocols and the characteristic time scale of the pulses provide an efficient parametrization of the protocol and inform the search for effective hybrid (classical and quantum) schemes for tackling combinatorial optimization problems. Furthermore, we find that the success rates of our optimal bang-bang protocols remain high even in the presence of weak external noise and coupling to a thermal bath.
A series of stable radical 2D metal‐organic frameworks has been assembled. (m‐TTFTB)3 (m‐Tetrathiafulvalene‐tetrabenzoate) trimer building blocks are beneficial for the stability of the radicals due ...to delocalization of the unpaired electron. Hexanuclear rare‐earth‐cluster‐based 1D chains further enhance the stability of the frameworks. The radical state of the middle TTF in the trimer has been observed by the change of central C−C and C−S bond distances and the configuration of the TTF by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The radical characteristics are also confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance, UV/Vis–NIR absorption, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. Stability tests showed that the radicals are stable even in solutions and under acid/base environments (pH 1–12). Owing to efficient light absorption due to intramolecular charge transfer, low thermal conductivity, and outstanding stability, the radical 2D Dy‐MOF shows excellent photothermal properties, an increase of 34.7 °C within 240 s under one‐sun illumination.
The incorporation of TTF radical trimers and RE6 cluster SBUs result in a stable 2D radical MOF that is stable under harsh conditions including aqueous acid/base solutions. Exhibiting the characteristics of light absorption and excellent stability, the radical Dy‐MOF shows excellent photothermal conversion with an increase in temperature of 34.7 °C upon irradiation by one unit of sunlight within 240 s.
Twisted toroidal ribbons such as the one-sided Möbius strip have inspired scientists, engineers and artists for many centuries. A physical Möbius strip exhibits interesting mechanical properties ...deriving from a tendency to redistribute the torsional strain away from the twist region. This leads to the interesting possibility of building topological actuators with continuous deformations. Here we report on a series of corresponding bi-layered stripe actuators using a photothermally responsive liquid crystal elastomer as the fundamental polymeric material. Employing a special procedure, even Möbius strips with an odd number of twists can be fabricated exhibiting a seamless homeotropic and homogeneous morphology. Imposing a suitable contraction gradient under near-infrared light irradiation, these ribbons can realize continuous anticlockwise/clockwise in-situ rotation. Our work could pave the way for developing actuators and shape morphing materials that need not rely on switching between distinct states.
Covalently closed single-stranded circular RNAs (circRNAs) consist of introns or exons and are widely present in eukaryotic cells. CircRNAs generally have low expression levels and relatively stable ...structures compared with messenger RNAs (mRNAs), most of which are located in the cytoplasm and often act in cell type and tissue-specific manners, indicating that they may serve as novel biomarkers. In recent years, circRNAs have gradually become a hotspot in the field of RNA and cancer research, but the functions of most circRNAs have not yet been discovered. Known circRNAs can affect the biogenesis of cancers in diverse ways, such as functioning as a microRNA (miRNA) sponges, combining with RNA binding proteins (RBPs), working as a transcription factor and translation of proteins. In this review, we summarize the characteristics and types of circRNAs, introduce the biogenesis of circRNAs, discuss the emerging functions and databases on circRNAs and present the current challenges of circRNAs studies.
In this paper we report the
Fermi
Large Area Telescope (
Fermi
-LAT) detection of the
γ
-ray emission toward the young star forming region W43. Using the latest source catalog and diffuse background ...models, the extended
γ
-ray excess is detected with a significance of ~16
σ
. The
γ
-ray emission has a spectrum with a photon index of 2.3 ± 0.1. We also performed a detailed analysis of the gas content in this region by taking into account the opacity correction to the HI gas column density. The total cosmic-ray (CR) proton energy is estimated to be on the order of 10
48
erg, assuming the
γ
-rays are produced from the interaction of the accelerated protons and nuclei with the ambient gas. Comparing this region to the other star formation regions in our Galaxy, we find that the CR luminosity is better correlated with the wind power than the star formation rate (SFR). This result suggests that CRs are primarily accelerated by stellar wind in these systems.
A
bstract
We revisit the calculation of perturbative quark transverse momentum de- pendent parton distribution functions and fragmentation functions using the exponential regulator for rapidity ...divergences. We show that the exponential regulator provides a consistent framework for the calculation of various ingredients in transverse momentum dependent factorization. Compared to existing regulators in the literature, the exponential regulator has a couple of advantages which we explain in detail. As a result, the calcula- tion is greatly simplified and we are able to obtain the next-to-next-to-leading order results up to
O
(
E
2
) in dimensional regularization. These terms are necessary for a higher order calculation which is made possible with the simplification brought by the new regulator. As a by-product, we have obtained the two-loop quark jet function for the Energy-Energy Correlator in the back-to-back limit, which is the last missing ingredient for its N
3
LL resummation.
Methodological quality (risk of bias) assessment is an important step before study initiation usage. Therefore, accurately judging study type is the first priority, and the choosing proper tool is ...also important. In this review, we introduced methodological quality assessment tools for randomized controlled trial (including individual and cluster), animal study, non-randomized interventional studies (including follow-up study, controlled before-and-after study, before-after/ pre-post study, uncontrolled longitudinal study, interrupted time series study), cohort study, case-control study, cross-sectional study (including analytical and descriptive), observational case series and case reports, comparative effectiveness research, diagnostic study, health economic evaluation, prediction study (including predictor finding study, prediction model impact study, prognostic prediction model study), qualitative study, outcome measurement instruments (including patient - reported outcome measure development, content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, cross-cultural validity/ measurement invariance, reliability, measurement error, criterion validity, hypotheses testing for construct validity, and responsiveness), systematic review and meta-analysis, and clinical practice guideline. The readers of our review can distinguish the types of medical studies and choose appropriate tools. In one word, comprehensively mastering relevant knowledge and implementing more practices are basic requirements for correctly assessing the methodological quality.
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