广义正交码索引调制系统的性能分析

摘 要：为了提高码索引调制（code index modulation，CIM）系统的传输效率，提出了一种具有更低复杂度的单输入单输出（single input single output，SISO）的广义正交码索引调制（generalized orthogonal code index modulation，GQCIM）系统。CIM 系统使用扩频码和星座符号传输信息，但只能激活两个扩频码索引和一个调制符号。而 GQCIM 系统以一种新颖的方式克服了只激活一个调制符号的限制，同时充分利用了调制符号的正交性，增加扩频码索引以传输更多的额外信息位，提高了系统的传输效率。此外，分析了GQCIM系统的理论性能，推导了误码率性能的上界。通过蒙特卡罗仿真验证了GQCIM系统的性能，对比发现GQCIM系统的理论和仿真性能一致。而且在相同的传输效率下，结果显示GQCIM系统的性能优于同样具有正交性的调制系统，如广义码索引调制（generalized code index modulation，GCIM）系统、CIM系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided quadrature spatial modulation，CIM-QSM）系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided spatial modulation，CIM-SM）系统、脉冲索引调制（pulse index modulation，PIM）系统。     

Thermal properties of hierarchical YSZ and LZO ceramic microspheres with multi-scaled voids investigated by using theoretical,experimental and simulation methods

Heat transfer within ceramic feedstock powders is still unclear, which impedes optimization of the thermal and mechanical properties of the thermal sprayed coatings. The microspheres (yttria-stabilized zirconia YSZ and lanthanum zirconate LZO) were prepared via the electro-spraying assisted phase inversion method (ESP). The thermal properties of the two ESP microspheres and a commercial hollow spherical powder (HOSP) were investigated by using theoretical, experimental, and simulation methods. Thermal conductivity of the single microsphere was estimated via a novel nest model that was derived from the Maxwell-Eucken 1 and the EMT model. Thermal conductivity of a single YSZ/LZO-ESP microsphere prepared at 1100–1200 °C was within 0.36–0.75 W/m K, which was ～ 20 % lower than that of a single YSZ-HOSP microsphere with a similar porosity. Heat flux simulation showed that high tortuosity around the multi-scaled voids of the ESP microsphere led to a more efficient decrease in thermal conductivity compared with total porosity.     

No-Reference Video Quality Assessment using novel hybrid features and two-stage hybrid regression for score level fusion

This paper presents a novel No-Reference Video Quality Assessment (NR-VQA) model that utilizes proposed 3D steerable wavelet transform-based Natural Video Statistics (NVS) features as well as human perceptual features. Additionally, we proposed a novel two-stage regression scheme that significantly improves the overall performance of quality estimation. In the first stage, transform-based NVS and human perceptual features are separately passed through the proposed hybrid regression scheme: Support Vector Regression (SVR) followed by Polynomial curve fitting. The two visual quality scores predicted from the first stage are then used as features for the similar second stage. This predicts the final quality scores of distorted videos by achieving score level fusion. Extensive experiments were conducted using five authentic and four synthetic distortion databases. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other published state-of-the-art benchmark methods on synthetic distortion databases and is among the top performers on authentic distortion databases. The source code is available at https://github.com/anishVNIT/two-stage-vqa.     

Predicting the mechanical properties of Cu–Al2O3 nanocomposites using machine learning and finite element simulation of indentation experiments

Micromechanics model, finite element (FE) simulation of microindentation and machine learning were deployed to predict the mechanical properties of Cu–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites. The micromechanical model was developed based on the rule of mixture and grain and grain boundary sizes evolution to predict the elastic modulus of the produced nanocomposites. Then, a FE model was developed to simulate the microindentation test. The input for the FE model was the elastic modulus that was computed using the micromechanics model and wide range of yield and tangent stresses values. Finally, the output load-displacement response from the FE model, the elastic modulus, the yield and tangent strengths used for the FE simulations, and the residual indentation depth were used to train the machine learning model (Random vector functional link network) for the prediction of the yield and tangent stresses of the produced nanocomposites. Cu–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites with different Al₂O₃ concentration were manufactured using insitu chemical method to validate the proposed model. After training the model, the microindentation experimental load-displacement curve for Cu–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites was fed to the machine learning model and the mechanical properties were obtained. The obtained mechanical properties were in very good agreement with the experimental ones achieving 0.99 coefficient of determination R2 for the yield strength.     

The thermochromic characteristics of Zn-doped VO2 that were prepared by the hydrothermal and post-annealing process and their polyurethane composite films

In this paper, Zn-doped VO₂ nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal-annealing process, and the thermally induced visible light transmittance enhancement of Zn-doped VO₂ has been studied for the first time. It is found that Zn-doped VO₂ not only exhibits excellent solar modulation ability (ΔT_sol = 15.27%) but also can reduce the phase transition temperature and increase the visible light transmittance after the heat-induced phase transition (ΔT_lum=+5.78%). Moreover, with the increase of Zn doping concentration, the phase transition temperature (T_c) and phase transition hysteresis (ΔT) both decrease. It is shown that the Zn-doped VO₂-PU films not only have good solar light modulation ability and properties of improving visible light transmission after phase transition, but also have good durability. The research result is of great significance for improving the visible light transmittance after phase transition and realizing the practical application of VO₂ in the field of smart windows.     

A novel fabrication procedure for producing high strength hydroxyapatite ceramic scaffolds with high porosity

Hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds were fabricated using the space holder method with a pressureless sintering process in a systematically developed manner at different fabrication stages to increase the strength of the scaffold at high porosity. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were used as binders and space holder agents, respectively. The physical properties of the HA scaffolds were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), linear shrinkage test, and porosity measurements. The mechanical properties of the HA scaffolds were analyzed using compressive strength measurements. The results revealed that the HA scaffold met the expected quality requirements with a compressive strength of 2.2 MPa at a porosity of 65.6% with pore sizes distributed in the range of 126–385 μm. The shrinkage of the scaffold diameter occurred by 20.27%, this diameter shrinkage predominantly to the shrinkage of the HA scaffold caused by sintering. Besides, suspect that a higher PMMA concentration causes pore size shrinkage upon sintering. The formation of pore interconnections was evidenced by SEM observations and the ‘translucent light method’ developed in this study. The results of the scaffold phase test using XRD showed that the final scaffold consisted only of the HA phase, as the PVA and PMMA phases burned out during the sintering process.     

The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Progression of Human Neuroblastoma

The long-underestimated role of extracellular vesicles in cancer is now reconsidered worldwide by basic and clinical scientists, who recently highlighted novel and crucial activities of these moieties. Extracellular vesicles are now considered as king transporters of specific cargoes, including molecular components of parent cells, thus mediating a wide variety of cellular activities both in normal and neoplastic tissues. Here, we discuss the multifunctional activities and underlying mechanisms of extracellular vesicles in neuroblastoma, the most frequent common extra-cranial tumor in childhood. The ability of extracellular vesicles to cross-talk with different cells in the tumor microenvironment and to modulate an anti-tumor immune response, tumorigenesis, tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance will be pinpointed in detail. The results obtained on the role of extracellular vesicles may represent a panel of suggestions potentially useful in practice, due to their involvement in the response to chemotherapy, and, moreover, their ability to predict resistance to standard therapies—all issues of clinical relevance.     

Relaxor behavior and energy storage density induced by B-sites substitutions in (Ca0.28Ba0.72)2.1Na0.8Nb5O15 Tungsten bronze ceramics

Lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics (Ca_0.28Ba_0.72)_2.1Na_0.8Nb_5-xSb_xO₁₅ (CBNNS) and (Ca_0.28Ba_0.72)_2.1Na_0.8Nb_5-yTa_yO₁₅ (CBNNT) with tungsten bronze structure were fabricated via solid-state reactions. The obtained CBNNS and CBNNT ceramics showed different dielectric behaviors. Only the CBNNS ceramics revealed an intensified diffusion and relaxor-like characteristics, which could be verified by the modified Curie–Weiss law. The relaxor behaviors in CBNNS were attributed to the radii difference between Sb⁵⁺ and Nb⁵⁺ ions co-occupying in B-sites. For the substitution of Nb⁵⁺ by Sb⁵⁺ in CBNNS ceramics, the change from macroscopic polarization to local polarization could also give rise to the obvious relaxor behavior. The Raman spectra verified a larger off-centering of the cation and a higher distortion degree for BO₆ octahedron in the ab plane for CBNNS ceramics when compared with those of CBNNT. In addition, the ferroelectric properties of CBNNS ceramics further indicated the relaxor ferroelectric nature, and also confirmed that the relaxor behavior helped to improve the energy-storage performance.