This paper proposes linear and nonlinear filters for a non-Gaussian dynamic system with an unknown nominal covariance of the output noise.The challenge of designing a suitable filter in the presence of an unknown cova...This paper proposes linear and nonlinear filters for a non-Gaussian dynamic system with an unknown nominal covariance of the output noise.The challenge of designing a suitable filter in the presence of an unknown covariance matrix is addressed by focusing on the output data set of the system.Considering that data generated from a Gaussian distribution exhibit ellipsoidal scattering,we first propose the weighted sum of norms(SON)clustering method that prioritizes nearby points,reduces distant point influence,and lowers computational cost.Then,by introducing the weighted maximum likelihood,we propose a semi-definite program(SDP)to detect outliers and reduce their impacts on each cluster.Detecting these weights paves the way to obtain an appropriate covariance of the output noise.Next,two filtering approaches are presented:a cluster-based robust linear filter using the maximum a posterior(MAP)estimation and a clusterbased robust nonlinear filter assuming that output noise distribution stems from some Gaussian noise resources according to the ellipsoidal clusters.At last,simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed filtering approaches.展开更多
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.Howe...The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.However,with the advancement of information and communication technology,new security and privacy challenges have emerged for AMI.To address these challenges and enhance the security and privacy of user data in the smart grid,a Hierarchical Privacy Protection Model in Advanced Metering Infrastructure based on Cloud and Fog Assistance(HPPM-AMICFA)is proposed in this paper.The proposed model integrates cloud and fog computing with hierarchical threshold encryption,offering a flexible and efficient privacy protection solution that significantly enhances data security in the smart grid.The methodology involves setting user protection levels by processing missing data and utilizing fuzzy comprehensive analysis to evaluate user importance,thereby assigning appropriate protection levels.Furthermore,a hierarchical threshold encryption algorithm is developed to provide differentiated protection strategies for fog nodes based on user IDs,ensuring secure aggregation and encryption of user data.Experimental results demonstrate that HPPM-AMICFA effectively resists various attack strategies while minimizing time costs,thereby safeguarding user data in the smart grid.展开更多
This study highlights the changing priorities of China’s paired assistance throughout the past decades,as well as its theoretical implications and economic growth effects for recipient regions.Using panel data from 3...This study highlights the changing priorities of China’s paired assistance throughout the past decades,as well as its theoretical implications and economic growth effects for recipient regions.Using panel data from 32 prefecture-level cities from 1990 to 2020,this study uses the multiperiod difference-in-differences approach to examine how paired assistance has contributed to economic growth in Xizang Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.The findings indicate that,first,the implementation of the paired assistance policy has boosted economic growth in Xizang and Xinjiang.Second,paired assistance has stimulated economic growth in recipient communities by improving infrastructure.Third,paired assistance has contributed to economic growth in recipient communities by providing improved public services such as education and healthcare.Improvements to public services have a relatively smaller indirect effect in short term than infrastructure development on economic growth.Yet both education and healthcare are crucial to people’s quality of life in recipient communities.This paper has refined and broadened research on the effects of paired assistance,providing preference for future policymaking.展开更多
In the new era,there is an urgent need to further promote pairing assistance to Tibet,promote the simultaneous construction of a strong agriculture in Tibet and the China's Mainland,and compose a Chinese-style mod...In the new era,there is an urgent need to further promote pairing assistance to Tibet,promote the simultaneous construction of a strong agriculture in Tibet and the China's Mainland,and compose a Chinese-style modernization.Southern Tibet,located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region,includes Shannan City and Nyingchi City,is a region assisted by four provincial partners including Hubei Province.This paper introduces the agricultural environment in southern Tibet,studies its agricultural characteristics,and analyzes the main issues of its pairing assistance.Taking forging the strong consciousness of the Chinese national community as the main line,the paper explores strategies for promoting agricultural high-quality development in southern Tibet through pairing assistance to Tibet from the perspective of agricultural power,and proposes some strategies,such as inheriting agricultural cultural heritage,promoting the upgrading of modern seed industry,enhancing the characteristic advantages of highland barley(naked barley)and animal husbandry industries,and developing edible fungi and cold water fish industries.展开更多
In times of digitalisation, visual assistance systems in assembly are increasingly important. The design of these assembly systems needs to be highly complex to meet the requirements. Due to the increasing number of v...In times of digitalisation, visual assistance systems in assembly are increasingly important. The design of these assembly systems needs to be highly complex to meet the requirements. Due to the increasing number of variants in production processes, as well as shorter innovation and product life cycles, assistance systems should improve quality and reduce complexity of assembly processes. However, many large kitchen manufacturers still assemble kitchen cabinets manually, due to the high variety of components, such as rails and fittings. This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of virtual assistance systems to improve quality and usability in individualised kitchen cabinet assembly processes at a large German manufacturer. A solution is identified and detailed.展开更多
Inclusive education is the mainstream of developing education for persons with disabilities worldwide.It advocates the recognition and protection of the right of persons with disabilities to receive inclusive educatio...Inclusive education is the mainstream of developing education for persons with disabilities worldwide.It advocates the recognition and protection of the right of persons with disabilities to receive inclusive education in mainstream schools.From the perspective of inclusive education,the educational assistance system for persons with disabilities represents a theoretical innovation in traditional educational support methods,playing a crucial role in integrating persons with disabilities into society,reversing their disadvantaged status,and maintaining educational equity.At present,China's legal system for inclusive education assistance for persons with disabilities needs improvement,and faces several obstacles,including conceptual“limited capacity”,“monotonous”subjects,“crowding-out”obstacles and supervision“absence”obstacles.It is urgent to begin with the transformation of the rule of law concept,clarify the legal positioning of multiple responsibility subjects,achieve mutual reinforcement of education law and education aid legislation,establish a supervision system for inclusive education assistance,and improve the legal framework for educational assistance for persons with disabilities.This will ensure that persons with disabilities can successfully realize their right to education,share in the benefits of social development,and ultimately contribute to achieving common prosperity.展开更多
This study analyzed how impressions are formed online depending on the type of social media and the implications that may come from the over-disclosure of information. Using a Qualtrics survey, 97 participants viewed ...This study analyzed how impressions are formed online depending on the type of social media and the implications that may come from the over-disclosure of information. Using a Qualtrics survey, 97 participants viewed the profile of a female teaching assistant on Twitter and Facebook. While there was little difference between the two social media, the use of self-disclosure on Twitter seemed slightly more inappropriate for sharing personal information.展开更多
Background This study views sustainability after the exit of development assistance for health(DAH)as a shared responsibility between donors and recipients and sees transitioning DAH-supported interventions into domes...Background This study views sustainability after the exit of development assistance for health(DAH)as a shared responsibility between donors and recipients and sees transitioning DAH-supported interventions into domes-tic health policy as a pathway to this sustainability.It aims to uncover and understand the reemergent aspects of the donor–recipient dynamic in DAH and how they contribute to formulating domestic health policy and post-DAH sustainability.Methods We conducted a case study on two DAH-supported interventions:medical financial assistance in the Basic Health Services Project supported by the World Bank and UK(1998–2007)and civil society engagement in the HIV/AIDS Rolling Continuation Channel supported by the Global Fund(2010–2013)in China.From December 2021 to December 2022,we analyzed 129 documents and interviewed 46 key informants.Our data collection and cod-ing were guided by a conceptual framework based on Walt and Gilson’s health policy analysis model and the World Health Organization’s health system building blocks.We used process tracing for analysis.Results According to the collected data,our case study identified three reemergent,interrelated aspects of donor–recipient dynamics:different preferences and compromise,partnership dialogues,and responsiveness to the chang-ing context.In the case of medical financial assistance,the dynamic was characterized by long-term commitment to addressing local needs,on-site mutual learning and understanding,and local expertise cultivation and knowledge generation,enabling proactive responses to the changing context.In contrast,the dynamic in the case of HIV/AIDS civil society engagement marginalized genuine civil society engagement,lacked sufficient dialogue,and exhibited a passive response to the context.These differences led to varying outcomes in transnational policy diffusion and sus-tainability of DAH-supported interventions between the cases.Conclusions Given the similarities in potential alternative factors observed in the two cases,we emphasize the signif-icance of the donor–recipient dynamic in transnational policy diffusion through DAH.The study implies that achiev-ing post-DAH sustainability requires a balance between donor priorities and recipient ownership to address local needs,partnership dialogues for mutual understanding and learning,and collaborative international–domestic expert partnerships to identify and respond to contextual enablers and barriers.展开更多
Flammable ionic liquids exhibit high conductivity and a broad electrochemical window,enabling the generation of combustible gases for combustion via electrochemical decomposition and thermal decomposition.This charact...Flammable ionic liquids exhibit high conductivity and a broad electrochemical window,enabling the generation of combustible gases for combustion via electrochemical decomposition and thermal decomposition.This characteristic holds significant implications in the realm of novel satellite propulsion.Introducing a fraction of the electrical energy into energetic ionic liquid fuels,the thermal decomposition process is facilitated by reducing the apparent activation energy required,and electrical energy can trigger the electrochemical decomposition of ionic liquids,presenting a promising approach to enhance combustion efficiency and energy release.This study applied an external voltage during the thermal decomposition of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole nitrate([EMIm]NO_(3)),revealing the effective alteration of the activation energy of[EMIm]NO_(3).The pyrolysis,electrochemical decomposition,and electron assisted enhancement products were identified through Thermogravimetry-Differential scanning calorimetry-Fourier transform infrared-Mass spectrometry(TG-DSC-FTIR-MS)and gas chromatography(GC)analyses,elucidating the degradation mechanism of[EMIm]NO_(3).Furthermore,an external voltage was introduced during the combustion of[EMIm]NO_(3),demonstrating the impact of voltage on the combustion process.展开更多
The unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)-assisted mobile edge computing(MEC)has been deemed a promising solution for energy-constrained devices to run smart applications with computationintensive and latency-sensitive require...The unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)-assisted mobile edge computing(MEC)has been deemed a promising solution for energy-constrained devices to run smart applications with computationintensive and latency-sensitive requirements,especially in some infrastructure-limited areas or some emergency scenarios.However,the multi-UAVassisted MEC network remains largely unexplored.In this paper,the dynamic trajectory optimization and computation offloading are studied in a multi-UAVassisted MEC system where multiple UAVs fly over a target area with different trajectories to serve ground users.By considering the dynamic channel condition and random task arrival and jointly optimizing UAVs'trajectories,user association,and subchannel assignment,the average long-term sum of the user energy consumption minimization problem is formulated.To address the problem involving both discrete and continuous variables,a hybrid decision deep reinforcement learning(DRL)-based intelligent energyefficient resource allocation and trajectory optimization algorithm is proposed,named HDRT algorithm,where deep Q network(DQN)and deep deterministic policy gradient(DDPG)are invoked to process discrete and continuous variables,respectively.Simulation results show that the proposed HDRT algorithm converges fast and outperforms other benchmarks in the aspect of user energy consumption and latency.展开更多
In this paper,we propose a sub-6GHz channel assisted hybrid beamforming(HBF)for mmWave system under both line-of-sight(LOS)and non-line-of-sight(NLOS)scenarios without mmWave channel estimation.Meanwhile,we resort to ...In this paper,we propose a sub-6GHz channel assisted hybrid beamforming(HBF)for mmWave system under both line-of-sight(LOS)and non-line-of-sight(NLOS)scenarios without mmWave channel estimation.Meanwhile,we resort to the selfsupervised approach to eliminate the need for labels,thus avoiding the accompanied high cost of data collection and annotation.We first construct the dense connection network(DCnet)with three modules:the feature extraction module for extracting channel characteristic from a large amount of channel data,the feature fusion module for combining multidimensional features,and the prediction module for generating the HBF matrices.Next,we establish a lightweight network architecture,named as LDnet,to reduce the number of model parameters and computational complexity.The proposed sub-6GHz assisted approach eliminates mmWave pilot resources compared to the method using mmWave channel information directly.The simulation results indicate that the proposed DCnet and LDnet can achieve the spectral efficiency that is superior to the traditional orthogonal matching pursuit(OMP)algorithm by 13.66% and 10.44% under LOS scenarios and by 32.35% and 27.75% under NLOS scenarios,respectively.Moreover,the LDnet achieves 98.52% reduction in the number of model parameters and 22.93% reduction in computational complexity compared to DCnet.展开更多
Reproductive medicine has been transformed by assisted reproductive technologies(ART),providing multiple options for infertile couples to conceive biological offspring.The medical and legal frameworks,governing the pr...Reproductive medicine has been transformed by assisted reproductive technologies(ART),providing multiple options for infertile couples to conceive biological offspring.The medical and legal frameworks,governing the practice of embryologists in ART,focus on the ethical and safe handling of gametes and embryos.Embryologists play a crucial role in the success of ART procedures,requiring technical expertise and a thorough understanding of legal and ethical considerations.The importance of quality control,safety protocols,and sterility in ART laboratories is essential to ensure optimal embryo development and patient well-being.The legal responsibilities of an embryologist under the Assisted Reproductive Technology(Regulation)Act,2021 in India are required.This review emphasizes the importance of record-keeping,patient confidentiality,informed consent,and adherence to legal and ethical standards to minimize the risk of malpractice claims.Overall,this narrative review provides a detailed overview of the medical,legal,and ethical frameworks governing embryologists'practice in ART,underscoring the significance of responsible and ethical conduct in this rapidly advancing field.展开更多
Background: The maternal and neonatal morbidity caused by prolonged labour, maternal exhaustion and other factors push clinicians to speed up the delivery process by employing equipment such as vacuum suction or force...Background: The maternal and neonatal morbidity caused by prolonged labour, maternal exhaustion and other factors push clinicians to speed up the delivery process by employing equipment such as vacuum suction or forceps to save the newborn. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery (VAVD) and its associated short-term maternal and neonatal outcomes at Ndola Teaching Hospital. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study through the analysis of routine data for women with singleton-term pregnancies who delivered by vacuum compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery was done at a tertiary hospital for the years 2020 and 2021. Chi-square and Logistic regression were used to investigate factors of vacuum delivery and to adjust for potential confounders. Results: Results showed that VAVD was mostly performed in women who had delayed second stage of labour (25.4%), maternal exhaustion (16.0%), foetal distress in the second stage of labour (12.3%). The overall VAVD prevalence was 3.7% (581/15591). Logistic regression showed that multiparous women were noted to be 87.5% (aOR 0.125;95% CI 0.025 - 0.629;p = 0.012) less likely to undergo VAVD compared to nulliparous women. Registrars were almost 6 times (aOR 5.650;95% CI 1.458 - 22.222, p = 0.012) more likely to conduct VAVD compared to midwives. Episiotomy was 3 times (aOR 3.390;95% CI 1.185 - 9.524;p Conclusion: The findings indicate the underutilisation of VAVD at NTH based on the low prevalence of 3.7%. VAVD outcomes were affected by multiparity, skill level and Episiotomy procedure, in addition, VAVD influenced admission to the NICU. Hence, there is a need to increase skills in VAVD among first-line healthcare workers such as midwives and intern doctors.展开更多
It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do the...It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do they face? The English language issues facing international students from China at one University are explored through a survey and focus groups. It is observed that a lack of motivation is not the key factor. Rather one core problem is the very difficult demands of acculturation within a short time frame which would enable confidence for the students to continue to engage with other English speaking students. When faced with such immediate and hard to achieve acculturation, many retreat to their language groups. In the academic context, support for the transition to discipline based academic genres is double difficult as the time frame for second language learners is longer, but performance requirements are more immediate. Many first language students also have difficulties in this area, but have the easier language path to mastery. The study draws usefully on a comparison made with students studying English in China.展开更多
In the globalized market environment, increasingly significant economic and environmental factors withincomplex industrial plants impose importance on the optimization of global production indices; such opti-mization ...In the globalized market environment, increasingly significant economic and environmental factors withincomplex industrial plants impose importance on the optimization of global production indices; such opti-mization includes improvements in production efficiency, product quality, and yield, along with reductionsof energy and resource usage. This paper briefly overviews recent progress in data-driven hybrid intelli-gence optimization methods and technologies in improving the performance of global production indicesin mineral processing. First, we provide the problem description. Next, we summarize recent progress indata-based optimization for mineral processing plants. This optimization consists of four layers： optimiza-tion of the target values for monthly global production indices, optimization of the target values for dailyglobal production indices, optimization of the target values for operational indices, and automation systemsfor unit processes. We briefly overview recent progress in each of the different layers. Finally, we point outopportunities for future works in data-based optimization for mineral processing plants.展开更多
In this paper,a data-based scheme is proposed to solve the optimal tracking problem of autonomous nonlinear switching systems.The system state is forced to track the reference signal by minimizing the performance func...In this paper,a data-based scheme is proposed to solve the optimal tracking problem of autonomous nonlinear switching systems.The system state is forced to track the reference signal by minimizing the performance function.First,the problem is transformed to solve the corresponding Bellman optimality equation in terms of the Q-function(also named as action value function).Then,an iterative algorithm based on adaptive dynamic programming(ADP)is developed to find the optimal solution which is totally based on sampled data.The linear-in-parameter(LIP)neural network is taken as the value function approximator.Considering the presence of approximation error at each iteration step,the generated approximated value function sequence is proved to be boundedness around the exact optimal solution under some verifiable assumptions.Moreover,the effect that the learning process will be terminated after a finite number of iterations is investigated in this paper.A sufficient condition for asymptotically stability of the tracking error is derived.Finally,the effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated with three simulation examples.展开更多
In this paper, a data-based fault tolerant control(FTC) scheme is investigated for unknown continuous-time(CT)affine nonlinear systems with actuator faults. First, a neural network(NN) identifier based on particle swa...In this paper, a data-based fault tolerant control(FTC) scheme is investigated for unknown continuous-time(CT)affine nonlinear systems with actuator faults. First, a neural network(NN) identifier based on particle swarm optimization(PSO) is constructed to model the unknown system dynamics. By utilizing the estimated system states, the particle swarm optimized critic neural network(PSOCNN) is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation(HJBE) more efficiently.Then, a data-based FTC scheme, which consists of the NN identifier and the fault compensator, is proposed to achieve actuator fault tolerance. The stability of the closed-loop system under actuator faults is guaranteed by the Lyapunov stability theorem. Finally, simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method.展开更多
Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assi...Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assisted mode improves bimanual motor skill learning(biMSkL) more than training under the active mode in stroke patients. Twenty-six healthy individuals(HI) and 23 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with a detectable lesion on MRI or CT scan, who demonstrated motor deficits in the upper limb, were randomly allocated to two parallel groups. The protocol included a two-day training on a new bimanual cooperative task, LIFT-THE-TRAY, under either the active or activeassisted modes(where assistance decreased in a pre-determined stepwise fashion) with the bimanual version of the REAplan? robotic device. The hypothesis was that the active-assisted mode would result in greater biMSkL than the active mode. The biMSkL was quantified by a speed-accuracy trade-off(SAT) before(T1) and immediately after(T2) training on days 1 and 2(T3 and T4). The change in SAT after 2 days of training(T4/T1) indicated that both HI and stroke patients learned and retained the bimanual cooperative task. After 2 days of training, the active-assisted mode did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode(T4/T1) in HI nor stroke patients. Whereas HI generalized the learned bimanual skill to different execution speeds in both the active and active-assisted subgroups, the stroke patients generalized the learned skill only in the active subgroup. Taken together, the active-assisted mode, applied in a pre-determined stepwise decreasing fashion, did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode in HI and stroke subjects. Stroke subjects might benefit more from robotic assistance when applied "as-needed." This study was approved by the local ethical committee(Comité d'éthique médicale, CHU UCL Namur, MontGodinne, Yvoir, Belgium;Internal number: 54/2010, Eudra CT number: NUB B039201317382) on July 14, 2016 and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov(Identifier: NCT03974750) on June 5, 2019.展开更多
Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port...Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Better direct vision and exposure could be acquired for performing laparoscopic surgical procedure, avoiding additional port inserted. Using this procedure, with strictly adhering to the principles of laparoscopic colectomy and oncological procedure, along with the specimen exteriorized via recta, transacted and a stapled anastomosis performed, no incision can be achieved at the end of an operation. The operative time was 180 minutes. The estimated blood loss in the course of an operation was 80 ml. The patient recovered quickly after surgery, with no post-operative pain and no incision. The patient was dischanged home on the 6th postoperative day. Conclusions: With a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp, 3-port laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer could be achieved without no incision at the end of the operation, the same as NOTES. It is enormously advantageous to the patient and suitable for application in developing countries, especially in a rural area.展开更多
文摘This paper proposes linear and nonlinear filters for a non-Gaussian dynamic system with an unknown nominal covariance of the output noise.The challenge of designing a suitable filter in the presence of an unknown covariance matrix is addressed by focusing on the output data set of the system.Considering that data generated from a Gaussian distribution exhibit ellipsoidal scattering,we first propose the weighted sum of norms(SON)clustering method that prioritizes nearby points,reduces distant point influence,and lowers computational cost.Then,by introducing the weighted maximum likelihood,we propose a semi-definite program(SDP)to detect outliers and reduce their impacts on each cluster.Detecting these weights paves the way to obtain an appropriate covariance of the output noise.Next,two filtering approaches are presented:a cluster-based robust linear filter using the maximum a posterior(MAP)estimation and a clusterbased robust nonlinear filter assuming that output noise distribution stems from some Gaussian noise resources according to the ellipsoidal clusters.At last,simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed filtering approaches.
基金This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Number 61902069)Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China(Grant Number 2021J011068)+1 种基金Research Initiation Fund Program of Fujian University of Technology(GY-S24002,GY-Z21048)Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology Industrial Guidance Project(Grant Number 2022H0025).
文摘The Advanced Metering Infrastructure(AMI),as a crucial subsystem in the smart grid,is responsible for measuring user electricity consumption and plays a vital role in communication between providers and consumers.However,with the advancement of information and communication technology,new security and privacy challenges have emerged for AMI.To address these challenges and enhance the security and privacy of user data in the smart grid,a Hierarchical Privacy Protection Model in Advanced Metering Infrastructure based on Cloud and Fog Assistance(HPPM-AMICFA)is proposed in this paper.The proposed model integrates cloud and fog computing with hierarchical threshold encryption,offering a flexible and efficient privacy protection solution that significantly enhances data security in the smart grid.The methodology involves setting user protection levels by processing missing data and utilizing fuzzy comprehensive analysis to evaluate user importance,thereby assigning appropriate protection levels.Furthermore,a hierarchical threshold encryption algorithm is developed to provide differentiated protection strategies for fog nodes based on user IDs,ensuring secure aggregation and encryption of user data.Experimental results demonstrate that HPPM-AMICFA effectively resists various attack strategies while minimizing time costs,thereby safeguarding user data in the smart grid.
基金supported by the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund of China (NSSFC)“Economic Development for Ethnic Minorities under Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and International Comparison”(Grant No. 19ZDA173)the NSSFC Project “Study on the Implementation and Development of Educational Assistance to Xizang and Xinjiang under the Horizon of the Community of the Chinese Nation”(Grant No. CMA220323)the Elite Innovation Team of Pu’er University “Innovation Team for the Prosperity of Border Regions and Common Modernization of Ethnic Minority Regions”(Grant No. 2023PEXYCXTD002)
文摘This study highlights the changing priorities of China’s paired assistance throughout the past decades,as well as its theoretical implications and economic growth effects for recipient regions.Using panel data from 32 prefecture-level cities from 1990 to 2020,this study uses the multiperiod difference-in-differences approach to examine how paired assistance has contributed to economic growth in Xizang Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.The findings indicate that,first,the implementation of the paired assistance policy has boosted economic growth in Xizang and Xinjiang.Second,paired assistance has stimulated economic growth in recipient communities by improving infrastructure.Third,paired assistance has contributed to economic growth in recipient communities by providing improved public services such as education and healthcare.Improvements to public services have a relatively smaller indirect effect in short term than infrastructure development on economic growth.Yet both education and healthcare are crucial to people’s quality of life in recipient communities.This paper has refined and broadened research on the effects of paired assistance,providing preference for future policymaking.
基金Supported by the Project of National Social Science Foundation of China(22CMZ015).
文摘In the new era,there is an urgent need to further promote pairing assistance to Tibet,promote the simultaneous construction of a strong agriculture in Tibet and the China's Mainland,and compose a Chinese-style modernization.Southern Tibet,located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region,includes Shannan City and Nyingchi City,is a region assisted by four provincial partners including Hubei Province.This paper introduces the agricultural environment in southern Tibet,studies its agricultural characteristics,and analyzes the main issues of its pairing assistance.Taking forging the strong consciousness of the Chinese national community as the main line,the paper explores strategies for promoting agricultural high-quality development in southern Tibet through pairing assistance to Tibet from the perspective of agricultural power,and proposes some strategies,such as inheriting agricultural cultural heritage,promoting the upgrading of modern seed industry,enhancing the characteristic advantages of highland barley(naked barley)and animal husbandry industries,and developing edible fungi and cold water fish industries.
文摘In times of digitalisation, visual assistance systems in assembly are increasingly important. The design of these assembly systems needs to be highly complex to meet the requirements. Due to the increasing number of variants in production processes, as well as shorter innovation and product life cycles, assistance systems should improve quality and reduce complexity of assembly processes. However, many large kitchen manufacturers still assemble kitchen cabinets manually, due to the high variety of components, such as rails and fittings. This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of virtual assistance systems to improve quality and usability in individualised kitchen cabinet assembly processes at a large German manufacturer. A solution is identified and detailed.
基金Phased result of“Research on the Legal Mechanism for Realizing Active Employment in the Social Assistance Law”,a general project of the National Social Science Fund of China(21BFX127)。
文摘Inclusive education is the mainstream of developing education for persons with disabilities worldwide.It advocates the recognition and protection of the right of persons with disabilities to receive inclusive education in mainstream schools.From the perspective of inclusive education,the educational assistance system for persons with disabilities represents a theoretical innovation in traditional educational support methods,playing a crucial role in integrating persons with disabilities into society,reversing their disadvantaged status,and maintaining educational equity.At present,China's legal system for inclusive education assistance for persons with disabilities needs improvement,and faces several obstacles,including conceptual“limited capacity”,“monotonous”subjects,“crowding-out”obstacles and supervision“absence”obstacles.It is urgent to begin with the transformation of the rule of law concept,clarify the legal positioning of multiple responsibility subjects,achieve mutual reinforcement of education law and education aid legislation,establish a supervision system for inclusive education assistance,and improve the legal framework for educational assistance for persons with disabilities.This will ensure that persons with disabilities can successfully realize their right to education,share in the benefits of social development,and ultimately contribute to achieving common prosperity.
文摘This study analyzed how impressions are formed online depending on the type of social media and the implications that may come from the over-disclosure of information. Using a Qualtrics survey, 97 participants viewed the profile of a female teaching assistant on Twitter and Facebook. While there was little difference between the two social media, the use of self-disclosure on Twitter seemed slightly more inappropriate for sharing personal information.
基金supported by funding from the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research,World Health Organization(WHO PO number:202835591).
文摘Background This study views sustainability after the exit of development assistance for health(DAH)as a shared responsibility between donors and recipients and sees transitioning DAH-supported interventions into domes-tic health policy as a pathway to this sustainability.It aims to uncover and understand the reemergent aspects of the donor–recipient dynamic in DAH and how they contribute to formulating domestic health policy and post-DAH sustainability.Methods We conducted a case study on two DAH-supported interventions:medical financial assistance in the Basic Health Services Project supported by the World Bank and UK(1998–2007)and civil society engagement in the HIV/AIDS Rolling Continuation Channel supported by the Global Fund(2010–2013)in China.From December 2021 to December 2022,we analyzed 129 documents and interviewed 46 key informants.Our data collection and cod-ing were guided by a conceptual framework based on Walt and Gilson’s health policy analysis model and the World Health Organization’s health system building blocks.We used process tracing for analysis.Results According to the collected data,our case study identified three reemergent,interrelated aspects of donor–recipient dynamics:different preferences and compromise,partnership dialogues,and responsiveness to the chang-ing context.In the case of medical financial assistance,the dynamic was characterized by long-term commitment to addressing local needs,on-site mutual learning and understanding,and local expertise cultivation and knowledge generation,enabling proactive responses to the changing context.In contrast,the dynamic in the case of HIV/AIDS civil society engagement marginalized genuine civil society engagement,lacked sufficient dialogue,and exhibited a passive response to the context.These differences led to varying outcomes in transnational policy diffusion and sus-tainability of DAH-supported interventions between the cases.Conclusions Given the similarities in potential alternative factors observed in the two cases,we emphasize the signif-icance of the donor–recipient dynamic in transnational policy diffusion through DAH.The study implies that achiev-ing post-DAH sustainability requires a balance between donor priorities and recipient ownership to address local needs,partnership dialogues for mutual understanding and learning,and collaborative international–domestic expert partnerships to identify and respond to contextual enablers and barriers.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52206165)。
文摘Flammable ionic liquids exhibit high conductivity and a broad electrochemical window,enabling the generation of combustible gases for combustion via electrochemical decomposition and thermal decomposition.This characteristic holds significant implications in the realm of novel satellite propulsion.Introducing a fraction of the electrical energy into energetic ionic liquid fuels,the thermal decomposition process is facilitated by reducing the apparent activation energy required,and electrical energy can trigger the electrochemical decomposition of ionic liquids,presenting a promising approach to enhance combustion efficiency and energy release.This study applied an external voltage during the thermal decomposition of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole nitrate([EMIm]NO_(3)),revealing the effective alteration of the activation energy of[EMIm]NO_(3).The pyrolysis,electrochemical decomposition,and electron assisted enhancement products were identified through Thermogravimetry-Differential scanning calorimetry-Fourier transform infrared-Mass spectrometry(TG-DSC-FTIR-MS)and gas chromatography(GC)analyses,elucidating the degradation mechanism of[EMIm]NO_(3).Furthermore,an external voltage was introduced during the combustion of[EMIm]NO_(3),demonstrating the impact of voltage on the combustion process.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62471254)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.92367302)。
文摘The unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)-assisted mobile edge computing(MEC)has been deemed a promising solution for energy-constrained devices to run smart applications with computationintensive and latency-sensitive requirements,especially in some infrastructure-limited areas or some emergency scenarios.However,the multi-UAVassisted MEC network remains largely unexplored.In this paper,the dynamic trajectory optimization and computation offloading are studied in a multi-UAVassisted MEC system where multiple UAVs fly over a target area with different trajectories to serve ground users.By considering the dynamic channel condition and random task arrival and jointly optimizing UAVs'trajectories,user association,and subchannel assignment,the average long-term sum of the user energy consumption minimization problem is formulated.To address the problem involving both discrete and continuous variables,a hybrid decision deep reinforcement learning(DRL)-based intelligent energyefficient resource allocation and trajectory optimization algorithm is proposed,named HDRT algorithm,where deep Q network(DQN)and deep deterministic policy gradient(DDPG)are invoked to process discrete and continuous variables,respectively.Simulation results show that the proposed HDRT algorithm converges fast and outperforms other benchmarks in the aspect of user energy consumption and latency.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 62325107,62341107,62261160650,and U23A20272in part by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation under Grant L222002.
文摘In this paper,we propose a sub-6GHz channel assisted hybrid beamforming(HBF)for mmWave system under both line-of-sight(LOS)and non-line-of-sight(NLOS)scenarios without mmWave channel estimation.Meanwhile,we resort to the selfsupervised approach to eliminate the need for labels,thus avoiding the accompanied high cost of data collection and annotation.We first construct the dense connection network(DCnet)with three modules:the feature extraction module for extracting channel characteristic from a large amount of channel data,the feature fusion module for combining multidimensional features,and the prediction module for generating the HBF matrices.Next,we establish a lightweight network architecture,named as LDnet,to reduce the number of model parameters and computational complexity.The proposed sub-6GHz assisted approach eliminates mmWave pilot resources compared to the method using mmWave channel information directly.The simulation results indicate that the proposed DCnet and LDnet can achieve the spectral efficiency that is superior to the traditional orthogonal matching pursuit(OMP)algorithm by 13.66% and 10.44% under LOS scenarios and by 32.35% and 27.75% under NLOS scenarios,respectively.Moreover,the LDnet achieves 98.52% reduction in the number of model parameters and 22.93% reduction in computational complexity compared to DCnet.
文摘Reproductive medicine has been transformed by assisted reproductive technologies(ART),providing multiple options for infertile couples to conceive biological offspring.The medical and legal frameworks,governing the practice of embryologists in ART,focus on the ethical and safe handling of gametes and embryos.Embryologists play a crucial role in the success of ART procedures,requiring technical expertise and a thorough understanding of legal and ethical considerations.The importance of quality control,safety protocols,and sterility in ART laboratories is essential to ensure optimal embryo development and patient well-being.The legal responsibilities of an embryologist under the Assisted Reproductive Technology(Regulation)Act,2021 in India are required.This review emphasizes the importance of record-keeping,patient confidentiality,informed consent,and adherence to legal and ethical standards to minimize the risk of malpractice claims.Overall,this narrative review provides a detailed overview of the medical,legal,and ethical frameworks governing embryologists'practice in ART,underscoring the significance of responsible and ethical conduct in this rapidly advancing field.
文摘Background: The maternal and neonatal morbidity caused by prolonged labour, maternal exhaustion and other factors push clinicians to speed up the delivery process by employing equipment such as vacuum suction or forceps to save the newborn. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery (VAVD) and its associated short-term maternal and neonatal outcomes at Ndola Teaching Hospital. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study through the analysis of routine data for women with singleton-term pregnancies who delivered by vacuum compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery was done at a tertiary hospital for the years 2020 and 2021. Chi-square and Logistic regression were used to investigate factors of vacuum delivery and to adjust for potential confounders. Results: Results showed that VAVD was mostly performed in women who had delayed second stage of labour (25.4%), maternal exhaustion (16.0%), foetal distress in the second stage of labour (12.3%). The overall VAVD prevalence was 3.7% (581/15591). Logistic regression showed that multiparous women were noted to be 87.5% (aOR 0.125;95% CI 0.025 - 0.629;p = 0.012) less likely to undergo VAVD compared to nulliparous women. Registrars were almost 6 times (aOR 5.650;95% CI 1.458 - 22.222, p = 0.012) more likely to conduct VAVD compared to midwives. Episiotomy was 3 times (aOR 3.390;95% CI 1.185 - 9.524;p Conclusion: The findings indicate the underutilisation of VAVD at NTH based on the low prevalence of 3.7%. VAVD outcomes were affected by multiparity, skill level and Episiotomy procedure, in addition, VAVD influenced admission to the NICU. Hence, there is a need to increase skills in VAVD among first-line healthcare workers such as midwives and intern doctors.
文摘It is known that the IELTS test has not been a good predictor of English capability in academic settings. More information is required. Are students not motivated to keep improving their English; what obstacles do they face? The English language issues facing international students from China at one University are explored through a survey and focus groups. It is observed that a lack of motivation is not the key factor. Rather one core problem is the very difficult demands of acculturation within a short time frame which would enable confidence for the students to continue to engage with other English speaking students. When faced with such immediate and hard to achieve acculturation, many retreat to their language groups. In the academic context, support for the transition to discipline based academic genres is double difficult as the time frame for second language learners is longer, but performance requirements are more immediate. Many first language students also have difficulties in this area, but have the easier language path to mastery. The study draws usefully on a comparison made with students studying English in China.
文摘In the globalized market environment, increasingly significant economic and environmental factors withincomplex industrial plants impose importance on the optimization of global production indices; such opti-mization includes improvements in production efficiency, product quality, and yield, along with reductionsof energy and resource usage. This paper briefly overviews recent progress in data-driven hybrid intelli-gence optimization methods and technologies in improving the performance of global production indicesin mineral processing. First, we provide the problem description. Next, we summarize recent progress indata-based optimization for mineral processing plants. This optimization consists of four layers： optimiza-tion of the target values for monthly global production indices, optimization of the target values for dailyglobal production indices, optimization of the target values for operational indices, and automation systemsfor unit processes. We briefly overview recent progress in each of the different layers. Finally, we point outopportunities for future works in data-based optimization for mineral processing plants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61921004,U1713209,61803085,and 62041301)。
文摘In this paper,a data-based scheme is proposed to solve the optimal tracking problem of autonomous nonlinear switching systems.The system state is forced to track the reference signal by minimizing the performance function.First,the problem is transformed to solve the corresponding Bellman optimality equation in terms of the Q-function(also named as action value function).Then,an iterative algorithm based on adaptive dynamic programming(ADP)is developed to find the optimal solution which is totally based on sampled data.The linear-in-parameter(LIP)neural network is taken as the value function approximator.Considering the presence of approximation error at each iteration step,the generated approximated value function sequence is proved to be boundedness around the exact optimal solution under some verifiable assumptions.Moreover,the effect that the learning process will be terminated after a finite number of iterations is investigated in this paper.A sufficient condition for asymptotically stability of the tracking error is derived.Finally,the effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated with three simulation examples.
基金supported in part by the National Natural ScienceFoundation of China(61533017,61973330,61773075,61603387)the Early Career Development Award of SKLMCCS(20180201)the State Key Laboratory of Synthetical Automation for Process Industries(2019-KF-23-03)。
文摘In this paper, a data-based fault tolerant control(FTC) scheme is investigated for unknown continuous-time(CT)affine nonlinear systems with actuator faults. First, a neural network(NN) identifier based on particle swarm optimization(PSO) is constructed to model the unknown system dynamics. By utilizing the estimated system states, the particle swarm optimized critic neural network(PSOCNN) is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation(HJBE) more efficiently.Then, a data-based FTC scheme, which consists of the NN identifier and the fault compensator, is proposed to achieve actuator fault tolerance. The stability of the closed-loop system under actuator faults is guaranteed by the Lyapunov stability theorem. Finally, simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method.
基金supported by the following grants Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique–FNRS 1.R.506.161.R.506.18&1.R.506.20+8 种基金Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale(FRSM)3.4.525.08.FFonds Spécial de Recherche(FSR)from the UCLouvainFondation Van Goethem-BrichantFondation Mont-Godinnesupported by the following grants FRNS-FRIA n°F3/5/5-MCF/ROI/BC-19727 and F3/5/5-MCF/XH/FC-17514Fondation Mont-Godinne 2018supported by grants from the Fondation Mont-Godinne 2015-2016Fonds Spécial de Recherche(FSR)of the UCLouvain 2016-2018Fondation Roi Baudouin/Fonds Amélie 2018-2019。
文摘Using robotic devices might improve recovery post-stroke, but the optimal way to apply robotic assistance has yet to be determined. The current study aimed to investigate whether training under the robotic active-assisted mode improves bimanual motor skill learning(biMSkL) more than training under the active mode in stroke patients. Twenty-six healthy individuals(HI) and 23 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients with a detectable lesion on MRI or CT scan, who demonstrated motor deficits in the upper limb, were randomly allocated to two parallel groups. The protocol included a two-day training on a new bimanual cooperative task, LIFT-THE-TRAY, under either the active or activeassisted modes(where assistance decreased in a pre-determined stepwise fashion) with the bimanual version of the REAplan? robotic device. The hypothesis was that the active-assisted mode would result in greater biMSkL than the active mode. The biMSkL was quantified by a speed-accuracy trade-off(SAT) before(T1) and immediately after(T2) training on days 1 and 2(T3 and T4). The change in SAT after 2 days of training(T4/T1) indicated that both HI and stroke patients learned and retained the bimanual cooperative task. After 2 days of training, the active-assisted mode did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode(T4/T1) in HI nor stroke patients. Whereas HI generalized the learned bimanual skill to different execution speeds in both the active and active-assisted subgroups, the stroke patients generalized the learned skill only in the active subgroup. Taken together, the active-assisted mode, applied in a pre-determined stepwise decreasing fashion, did not improve biMSkL more than the active mode in HI and stroke subjects. Stroke subjects might benefit more from robotic assistance when applied "as-needed." This study was approved by the local ethical committee(Comité d'éthique médicale, CHU UCL Namur, MontGodinne, Yvoir, Belgium;Internal number: 54/2010, Eudra CT number: NUB B039201317382) on July 14, 2016 and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov(Identifier: NCT03974750) on June 5, 2019.
文摘Introduction: To present the initial experience of 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Case Presentation: One patient received 3-port incisionless laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp. Better direct vision and exposure could be acquired for performing laparoscopic surgical procedure, avoiding additional port inserted. Using this procedure, with strictly adhering to the principles of laparoscopic colectomy and oncological procedure, along with the specimen exteriorized via recta, transacted and a stapled anastomosis performed, no incision can be achieved at the end of an operation. The operative time was 180 minutes. The estimated blood loss in the course of an operation was 80 ml. The patient recovered quickly after surgery, with no post-operative pain and no incision. The patient was dischanged home on the 6th postoperative day. Conclusions: With a transrectal assistance by using a toothed oval clamp, 3-port laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer could be achieved without no incision at the end of the operation, the same as NOTES. It is enormously advantageous to the patient and suitable for application in developing countries, especially in a rural area.
