Accelerated Stochastic ADMM with Variance Reduction

Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) is a popular method in solving Machine Learning problems. Stochastic ADMM was firstly proposed in order to reduce the per iteration computational complexity, which is more suitable for big data problems. Recently, variance reduction techniques have been integrated with stochastic ADMM in order to get a fast convergence rate, such as SAG-ADMM and SVRG-ADMM,but the convergence is still suboptimal w.r.t the smoothness constant. In this paper, we propose a new accelerated stochastic ADMM algorithm with variance reduction, which enjoys a faster convergence than all the other stochastic ADMM algorithms. We theoretically analyze its convergence rate and show its dependence on the smoothness constant is optimal. We also empirically validate its effectiveness and show its priority over other stochastic ADMM algorithms

Razina industrijskog održivog razvoja u Kini i faktori utjecaja

This research aims to set up a comprehensive index system to evaluate the sustainable development level of the industrial sector in China and to determine the key influencing factors that hinder the sector’s sustainable development. To achieve these research goals, we build a theoretical model with 26 indexes selected from resource, environment, economy, and society subsystems. An empirical analysis is conducted through Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicate that the sustainable development level of China’s industrial sector became positive in 2007 and peaked in 2012. The environment subsystem has the largest effect on the sustainable development level. The sustainable development level is also greatly influenced by solid wastes, production of non-renewable resources, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), and industrial research and development (R&D) expenditure. The basic conclusion is that the sustainable development level of the industrial sector in China can be enhanced through improving the utilization efficiency of resources, increasing the contribution of technology progress to GDP, and developing renewable resources.Cilj ovog istraživanja je uspostaviti sveobuhvatan indeks sustava za procjenu razine održivog razvoja industrijskog sektora u Kini i odrediti ključne čimbenike koji sprječavaju održivi razvoj tog sektora. Za postizanje ovih znanstvenoistraživačkih ciljeva, izgradili smo model od 26 indeksa odabranih iz resursa, okoliša, gospodarstva i društvenih podsustava. Empirijska analiza provodi se pomoću analize glavnih komponenti i modeliranja strukturnih jednadžbi. Rezultati pokazuju da je razina održivog razvoja kineskog industrijskog sektora postao pozitivan 2007.godine, a vrhunac dosegnuo 2012. godine. Podsustav okoliša ima najveći utjecaj na razinu održivog razvoja. Razina održivog razvoja također je pod velikim utjecajem krutog otpada, proizvodnje neobnovljivih resursa, potrošnje energije po jedinici bruto domaćeg proizvoda (BDP-a) i troškova za industrijsko istraživanje i razvoj. Osnovni zaključak je da se razina održivog razvoja industrijskog sektora u Kini može poboljšati povećanjem učinkovitosti korištenja resursa, većim doprinosom tehnologijskog napretka u BDP-u i razvijanjem obnovljivih resursa

Current Tissue Engineering Approaches for Cartilage Regeneration

Cartilage is one of the critical tissues existed in human and animal bodies. Unlike most tissues, cartilage does not have blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics. Most cartilage tissues in vivo are subjected to large mechanical loads, and its principal function is to provide a smooth and lubricated surface to facilitate the transmission of mechanical loads with a low frictional coefficient. As a result, cartilage tissues are easily injured. Cartilage defects are frequently caused by trauma, aging, congenital diseases (osteochondritis), and many more factors such as endocrine pathologies and cancer. The damaged cartilage has a limited capacity for healing and repairing. Thus, restoration of normal structure and function to damaged cartilage is one of the most challenging areas in orthopedic research and sports medicine. Tissue engineering provides a prospective alternative strategy by seeding chondrogenic cells into or onto biocompatible scaffolds to produce engineer cartilage for damaged cartilage repair. This book chapter has summarized recent progress in cartilage tissue engineering including stem cells, growth factors, bioactive molecules, and biomaterial scaffolds used for cartilage regeneration. The procedures for some new approaches have also been described

Combined moxibustion/adalimumabin treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, and its influence on related functional indicators

Purpose: To study the clinical efficacy of the combination of du-moxibustion and adalimumab in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, as well as its influence on related functional indicators.Methods: From 2019 to 2020, 90 ankylosing spondylitis patients treated in Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine University Hospital were assessed for eligibility and recruited. They were assigned, based on the order of admission, to receive either conventional treatment (control group) or dumoxibustion plus adalimumab (study group). Clinical treatment efficacy, levels of inflammatory indices, and spinal mobility in the two groups were determined and compared. Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was employed for pain assessment, while Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was used for disease status evaluation. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) was used for assessing functional limitation.Results: Du-moxibustion plus adalimumab was associated with significantly higher treatment efficacy and lower levels of inflammatory factors when compared to conventional treatment (p < 0.05). Comparable NRS scores before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment were observed in the two groups (p > 0.05). The eligible patients given du-moxibustion plus adalimumab showed lower NRS scores, higher BASDAI scores, and lower BASFI scores versus those receiving conventional treatment (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis patients with the combination of du-moxibustion and adalimumab mitigates symptoms and clinical indicators of the disease and relieves pain in the patients. Therefore, the combined treatment should be subjected to further clinical trials prior to its use in clinical practice

An Analysis of Clinical Characters of Inpatients with Infection in the Department of Endocrinology

Objective: To analyze the clinical characters of 812 inpatients with infection in the Department of Endocrinology. Methods: Retrospective exhibition of these patients' clinical characters included undergoing diseases, infectious organs, history illness, blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), biochemical indicators, pathogens training description and results, medical imagines, antibiotic utilization, length of stay and hospital costs, final diagnosis and situations. Results: Non-diabetic patients accounted for 176 (21.67%), who were the cases of untreated well hyperthyroidism, mainly suffered with respiratory tract infection. Diabetic patients accounted for 636 (78.33%). In the type2 diabetes patients 376 (59.12) suffered with urinary tract infection. 192 (30.19%) suffered with respiratory system infection, 124 (19.50%) were accompanied with diabetic foot infection, which had 74 (59.67%) patients with HbA1C＞9.0%.Statistical comparisons showed that the days of antibiotic use and average length of stay in hospital per capita in patients with HbA1C≥8% were more than ones with HbA1C＜8% in those with diabetic infections (P＜0.01) . The days of antibiotic use per capita in patients with HbA1C＞9% were more than ones with HbA1C＜7% in those with diabetic foot infections (P＜0.01). Conclusion: Endocrine diseases lack rigid and effective long-term control, which may result in the complications involved with urinary tract, respiratory tract and infections in other organs. The time of hospitalization per capita and the duration of antibiotic use rise are longer in diabetic patients with poor blood sugar control and diabetic foot infection

A bead sequence-driven deposition pattern evaluation criterion for lowering residual stresses in additive manufacturing

Deposition patterns can significantly influence the distribution and magnitude of residual stress in additively manufactured parts. Time-consuming thermal-mechanical simulations and costly experimental studies are often required to identify the optimal patterns. A simple and generic method to evaluate and optimize the deposition pattern for the purpose of minimizing residual stress is in urgent need. To overcome the shortcomings of the current practice, here we propose a novel pattern evaluation criterion. Starting from the discretization of the deposition pattern by a series of sequence numbers, we introduce two interconnected concepts. The first is called “equivalent bead sequence number” which can be physically interpreted as an index of the localized heat accumulation induced by the deposition process. Based on this point-wise “equivalent bead sequence number”, the second concept called “bead sequence number dispersion index” which can be considered as a representation of the global heat accumulation gradient, is proposed as a criterion for assessing the resulting residual stress. The temperature fields and residual stresses of a square part with six typical deposition patterns predicted by thermo-mechanical finite element simulations are used to develop and verify the proposed criterion. It is found that the “equivalent bead sequence number” of a given pattern is closely correlated to the distribution of the associated temperature and residual stress. More interestingly, both the highest equivalent and highest maximum principal residual stress of a pattern linearly increase with its corresponding value of “bead sequence number dispersion index”. Guided by this relation, two new patterns with lower residual stress are developed and evaluated. Among all the patterns considered, the so-called S pattern shows the lowest value of the “bead sequence number dispersion index” which corresponds to the lowest residual stress. The proposed sequence-driven approach provides a new candidate for real-time evaluation and optimization of the deposition pattern in additive manufacturing.publishedVersio

Molecular identification of original plants of Fritillariae cirrhosae bulbus, a Tradtional Chinese Cedicine (TCM) using plant DNA barcoding

Background: DNA barcoding is a widely used tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of species based on standardized DNA regions.Materials and Methods: In this study, potential DNA barcodes, namely three plastid regions (rbcL, trnH-psbA and matK) and one nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were adopted for species identification of original plants of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus.Results: The rbcL and trnH-psbA regions showed better success rate of PCR amplification and DNA sequencing, as well as superior discriminatory ability. On the contrary, ITS region did not possess effective genetic variation and matK was faced with low success rate of sequencing. Combination of multi-loci sequences could improve identification ability of DNA barcoding. The trnH-psbA + rbcL could discriminate 25% - 100% species based on the Blast, Tree-Building and Distance methods.Conclusion: The potential DNA barcodes could not completely solving species identification of botanic origins of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus. In future, we should pay more attention to super-barcoding or specific barcode that enhance ability to discriminate the closely related plants.Keywords: Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, species identification, DNA barcoding, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM

catena-Poly[[dibromidomercury(II)]-μ-3-(1-methyl­pyrrolidin-2-yl)pyridine-κ2 N:N′]

In the title polymeric complex, [HgBr2(C10H14N2)]n, each nicotine mol­ecule is bonded to two adjacent Hg atoms, one through the pyrrolidine N atom and the other through the pyridine N atom, forming zigzag chains along [010]. The coordination around mercury is completed by two bromido ligands resulting in a distorted tetra­hedral arrangement