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where $c_+$ and $c_-$ are two positive constants. It is shown that the solution of the step-like initial problem can be characterised via the solution of a matrix Riemann–Hilbert (RH) problem in the new scale $(y,t)$. A double coordinate $(\xi, c)$ with $c=c_+/c_-$ is adopted to divide the half-plane $\{ (\xi, c)\,:\, \xi \in \mathbb{R}, \ c\gt 0, \ \xi =y/t\}$ into four asymptotic regions. Further applying the Deift–Zhou steepest descent method, we derive the long-time asymptotic expansions of the solution $u(y,t)$ in different space-time regions with appropriate g-functions. The corresponding leading asymptotic approximations are given with the slow/fast decay step-like background wave in genus-0 regions and elliptic waves in genus-2 regions. The second term of the asymptotics is characterised by the Airy function or parabolic cylinder model. Their residual error order is $\mathcal{O}(t^{-2})$ or $\mathcal{O}(t^{-1})$, respectively.
The outbreak of major epidemics, such as COVID-19, has had a significant impact on supply chains. This study aimed to explore knowledge innovation in the field of emergency supply chain during pandemics with a systematic quantitative analysis.
Methods
Based on the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection, proposing a 3-stage systematic analysis framework, and utilizing bibliometrics, Dynamic Topic Models (DTM), and regression analysis to comprehensively examine supply chain innovations triggered by pandemics.
Results
A total of 888 literature were obtained from the WOS database. There was a surge in the number of publications in recent years, indicating a new field of research on Pandemic Triggered Emergency Supply Chain (PTESC) is gradually forming. Through a 3-stage analysis, this study identifies the literature knowledge base and distribution of research hotspots in this field and predicts future research hotspots and trends mainly boil down to 3 aspects: pandemic-triggered emergency supply chain innovations in key industries, management, and technologies.
Conclusions
COVID-19 strengthened academic exchange and cooperation and promoted knowledge output in this field. This study provides an in-depth perspective on emergency supply chain research and helps researchers understand the overall landscape of the field, identifying future research directions.
Rhopalosiphum padi is an important grain pest, causing severe losses during crop production. As a systemic insecticide, flonicamid can control piercing-sucking pests efficiently. In our study, the lethal effects of flonicamid on the biological traits of R. padi were investigated via a life table approach. Flonicamid is highly efficiently toxic to R. padi, with an LC50 of 9.068 mg L−1. The adult longevity and fecundity of the R. padi F0 generation were markedly reduced under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid exposure. In addition, negative transgenerational effects on R. padi were observed under exposure to lethal concentrations of flonicamid, with noticeable decreases in the reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation under the LC25 concentration of flonicamid. Furthermore, the third nymph stage (N3), preadult stage, duration of the adult pre-reproductive period, duration of the total pre-reproductive period, reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation were significantly lower under treatment with the LC50 concentration of flonicamid. The life table parameters were subsequently analysed, revealing that the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the net reproductive rate (R0) were significantly lower but that the finite rate of increase (λ) and the mean generation time (T) were not significantly different under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid. These data are beneficial for grain aphid control and are critical for exploring the role of flonicamid in the integrated management of this key pest.
To describe the real-world clinical impact of a commercially available plasma cell-free DNA metagenomic next-generation sequencing assay, the Karius test (KT).
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated the clinical impact of KT by clinical panel adjudication. Descriptive statistics were used to study associations of diagnostic indications, host characteristics, and KT-generated microbiologic patterns with the clinical impact of KT. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to further characterize predictors of higher positive clinical impact.
Results:
We evaluated 1000 unique clinical cases of KT from 941 patients between January 1, 2017–August 31, 2023. The cohort included adult (70%) and pediatric (30%) patients. The overall clinical impact of KT was positive in 16%, negative in 2%, and no clinical impact in 82% of the cases. Among adult patients, multivariable logistic regression modeling showed that culture-negative endocarditis (OR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.11–4.53; P .022) and concern for fastidious/zoonotic/vector-borne pathogens (OR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.11–3.76; P .019) were associated with positive clinical impact of KT. Host immunocompromised status was not reliably associated with a positive clinical impact of KT (OR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.83–1.29; P .7806). No significant predictors of KT clinical impact were found in pediatric patients. Microbiologic result pattern was also a significant predictor of impact.
Conclusions:
Our study highlights that despite the positive clinical impact of KT in select situations, most testing results had no clinical impact. We also confirm diagnostic indications where KT may have the highest yield, thereby generating tools for diagnostic stewardship.
Traditional bulky and complex control devices such as remote control and ground station cannot meet the requirement of fast and flexible control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in complex environments. Therefore, a data glove based on multi-sensor fusion is designed in this paper. In order to achieve the goal of gesture control of UAVs, the method can accurately recognize various gestures and convert them into corresponding UAV control commands. First, the wireless data glove fuses flexible fiber optic sensors and inertial sensors to construct a gesture dataset. Then, the trained neural network model is deployed to the STM32 microcontroller-based data glove for real-time gesture recognition, in which the convolutional neural network-Attention mechanism (CNN-Attention) network is used for static gesture recognition, and the convolutional neural network-bidirectional long and short-term memory (CNN-Bi-LSTM) network is used for dynamic gesture recognition. Finally, the gestures are converted into control commands and sent to the vehicle terminal to control the UAV. Through the UAV simulation test on the simulation platform, the average recognition accuracy of 32 static gestures reaches 99.7%, and the average recognition accuracy of 13 dynamic gestures reaches 99.9%, which indicates that the system’s gesture recognition effect is perfect. The task test in the scene constructed in the real environment shows that the UAV can respond to the gestures quickly, and the method proposed in this paper can realize the real-time stable control of the UAV on the terminal side.
The model-implied instrumental variable (MIIV) estimator is an equation-by-equation estimator of structural equation models that is more robust to structural misspecifications than full information estimators. Previous studies have concentrated on endogenous variables that are all continuous (MIIV-2SLS) or all ordinal. We develop a unified MIIV approach that applies to a mixture of binary, ordinal, censored, or continuous endogenous observed variables. We include estimates of factor loadings, regression coefficients, variances, and covariances along with their asymptotic standard errors. In addition, we create new goodness of fit tests of the model and overidentification tests of single equations. Our simulation study shows that the proposed MIIV approach is more robust to structural misspecifications than diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) and that both the goodness of fit model tests and the overidentification equations tests can detect structural misspecifications. We also find that the bias in asymptotic standard errors for the MIIV estimators of factor loadings and regression coefficients are often lower than the DWLS ones, though the differences are small in large samples. Our analysis shows that scaling indicators with low reliability can adversely affect the MIIV estimators. Also, using a small subset of MIIVs reduces small sample bias of coefficient estimates, but can lower the power of overidentification tests of equations.
The problem of penalized maximum likelihood (PML) for an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) model is studied in this paper. An EFA model is typically estimated using maximum likelihood and then the estimated loading matrix is rotated to obtain a sparse representation. Penalized maximum likelihood simultaneously fits the EFA model and produces a sparse loading matrix. To overcome some of the computational drawbacks of PML, an approximation to PML is proposed in this paper. It is further applied to an empirical dataset for illustration. A simulation study shows that the approximation naturally produces a sparse loading matrix and more accurately estimates the factor loadings and the covariance matrix, in the sense of having a lower mean squared error than factor rotations, under various conditions.
Asymptotic robustness against misspecification of the underlying distribution for the polychoric correlation estimation is studied. The asymptotic normality of the pseudo-maximum likelihood estimator is derived using the two-step estimation procedure. The t distribution assumption and the skew-normal distribution assumption are used as alternatives to the normal distribution assumption in a numerical study. The numerical results show that the underlying normal distribution can be substantially biased, even though skewness and kurtosis are not large. The skew-normal assumption generally produces a lower bias than the normal assumption. Thus, it is worth using a non-normal distributional assumption if the normal assumption is dubious.
Fiber Bragg grating-based Raman oscillators are capable of achieving targeted frequency conversion and brightness enhancement through the provision of gain via stimulated Raman scattering across a broad gain spectrum. This capability renders them an exemplary solution for the acquisition of high-brightness, specialized-wavelength lasers. Nonetheless, the output power of all-fiber Raman oscillators is typically limited to several hundred watts, primarily due to limitations in injectable pump power and the influence of higher-order Raman effects, which is inadequate for certain application demands. In this study, we introduce an innovative approach by employing a graded-index fiber with a core diameter of up to 150 μm as the Raman gain medium. This strategy not only enhances the injectable pump power but also mitigates higher-order Raman effects. Consequently, we have successfully attained an output power of 1780 W for the all-fiber Raman laser at 1130 nm, representing the highest output power in Raman fiber oscillators with any configuration reported to date.
Web3 is a new frontier of internet architecture emphasizing decentralization and user control. This text for MBA students and industry professionals explores key Web3 concepts, starting from foundational principles and moving to advanced topics like blockchain, smart contracts, tokenomics, and DeFi. The book takes a clear, practical approach to demystify the tech behind NFTs and DAOs as well as the complex regulatory landscape. It confronts challenges of blockchain scalability, a barrier to mainstream adoption of this transformative technology, and examines smart contracts and the growing ecosystem leveraging their potential. The book also explains the nuances of tokenomics, a vital element underpinning Web3's new economic model. This book is ideal for readers seeking to stay on top of emerging trends in the digital economy.
Chapter 7 highlights key concepts in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and compares it to traditional finance. It discusses major DeFi applications such as decentralized exchanges, lending/borrowing platforms, derivatives, prediction markets, and stablecoins. DeFi offers advantages, including open access, transparency, programmability, and composability. It enables peer-to-peer financial transactions without intermediaries, unlocking financial inclusion, efficiency gains, and innovation. However, risks such as smart contract vulnerabilities, price volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and lack of accountability persist. As DeFi matures, enhanced governance, security audits, regulation, and insurance will be vital to address these challenges. DeFi is poised to reshape finance if balanced with prudence. Important metrics to track growth include total value locked, trading volumes, active users, and loans outstanding. Research tools such as Dune Analytics, DeFi Llama, and DeFi Pulse provide data-driven insights. Overall, DeFi represents a profoundly transformative blockchain application, but responsible evolution is key. The chapter compares DeFi to traditional finance and analyzes major applications, benefits, risks, and metrics in this emerging field.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the concepts and definitions inherent to Web3. It presents a deep exploration into the phenomenon of "Convergence of Convergence," a term coined to denote the convergence of various dimensions within Web3, such as technology, data, user interactions, business models, identity, and organizational structures. The chapter also offers a comparative study of Web3 from different perspectives – tracing its evolution in the Internet era, analyzing its implications for user experience, evaluating its regulatory aspects, and understanding its scalability. Each of these aspects is explored in a detailed, standalone section, allowing readers to comprehend the multifaceted nature of Web3. The overarching aim of this chapter is to foster a comprehensive understanding of Web3, delineating its significance as a major shift in the Internet paradigm and its potential for creating more decentralized, user-empowered digital ecosystems.
Chapter 11 envisions the future potential of Web3 technologies in reshaping the web. It covers key areas such as generative AI, DeFi, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, and the Metaverse. In DeFi, the focus is on scalability, interoperability, regenerative finance, decentralized identity, and its integration with social networks. The convergence of generative AI and Web3 is examined through case studies and applications, while mobile apps are explored as nodes for consensus algorithms, providing decentralized and secure networks. The impact of Web3 on cloud infrastructure includes decentralized storage, blockchain-based authentication and authorization, decentralized computing resources, and token-based incentives. Lastly, the chapter delves into the Metaverse, discussing decentralized ownership, token economies, identity and privacy considerations, interoperability, and decentralized governance. Through these explorations, the chapter highlights the transformative potential of Web3 in fostering decentralization, inclusivity, and innovation in the digital era.