Average Transfer Rate Research Articles

The advancement of EVA polymerization kinetics and development of high-performance EVOH polymerization process

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is a material with excellent barrier properties, produced via the radical copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl acetate in solution, followed by alcoholysis in methanol with NaOH as a catalyst. It is widely used in packaging and medical materials. However, balancing the barrier properties and processability remains challenging. Currently, multi-scale research methods using density functional theory (DFT) to explore polymerization mechanisms and obtain kinetic data, combined with process simulation methods to develop high-performance EVOH polymerization process, are gaining attention. Therefore, this study employs DFT and transition state theory (TST) methods to study the kinetics of chain growth and chain transfer reactions of radicals at first, yielding the average chain growth and chain transfer rate constants for copolymerization reactions. Then, based on these rate constants, process simulations were used to model the ethylene–vinyl acetate solution copolymerization reactor, developing polymerization process for EVOH with high barrier properties as well as EVOH with both high barrier properties and good processability. These findings provide suggestions and guidance for EVOH production and application.

Addition of CuO to form CuO/TiO2 and CuO/ZnO heterojunctions for photocatalytic CO2 conversion to methanol

Photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to value-added products is a promising route towards sustainability. In this work, gas phase CO2 in presence of water vapor and UV irradiation source was converted to methanol using TiO2, ZnO, CuO/TiO2 and CuO/ZnO photocatalysts. Characterization by physico-chemical, optical and First-principle based techniques revealed that CuO/TiO2 possessed increased oxygen vacancy, highest average electron lifetime, transfer rate, injection efficiency and highest separation efficiency. The maximum methanol (∼28 %) yield of CuO/TiO2 is ascribed due to combined effect of heterojunction formation and increment in surface oxygen vacancies by doping with CuO, acted as electron-trapping cocatalyst.

A Reduced Resistance, Concentric-Gated Artificial Membrane Lung for Pediatric End-Stage Lung Failure.

The goal of the low-resistance pediatric artificial lung (PAL-LR) is to serve as a pumpless bridge-to-transplant device for children with end-stage lung failure. The PAL-LR doubles the exposed fiber length of the previous PAL design. In vitro and in vivo studies tested hemocompatibility, device flow, gas exchange and pressure drop performance. For in vitro tests, average rated blood flow (outlet SO2 of 95%) was 2.56 ± 0.93 L/min with a pressure drop of 25.88 ± 0.90 mm Hg. At the targeted pediatric flow rate of 1 L/min, the pressure drop was 8.6 mm Hg compared with 25 mm Hg of the PAL. At rated flow, the average O2 and CO2 transfer rates were 101.75 ± 10.81 and 77.93 ± 8.40 mL/min, respectively. The average maximum O2 and CO2 exchange efficiencies were 215.75 ± 22.93 and 176.99 ± 8.40 mL/(min m2), respectively. In vivo tests revealed an average outlet SO2 of 100%, and average pressure drop of 2 ± 0 mm Hg for a blood flow of 1.07 ± 0.02 L/min. Having a lower resistance, the PAL-LR is a promising step closer to a pumpless artificial membrane lung that alleviates right ventricular strain associated with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

Ancient Nova Shells of RX Pup Indicate Evolution of Mass Transfer Rate

RX Pup is a symbiotic binary that experienced a nova outburst in the 1970s. Here we report a discovery of a ∼1300 yr old nova shell around the system and a possible detection of a ∼7000 yr old nova shell. Together with the nova shell ejected in the 1970s, this makes RX Pup the first system with three nova shells observed. This triad of eruptions suggests a change in the nova recurrence time. The most likely explanation is an alteration in the mass transfer rate attributed to evolutionary changes of the mass donor in the system. Notably, comparative analyses with theoretical models indicate an increase in the average mass transfer rate by a factor of 3 over the past 10,000 yr. This makes RX Pup a unique system, which allows us to probe millennium-scale evolution of mass transfer rates in binary systems.

Five-day Wearable Respiratory Support With a Novel Ambulatory Pulmonary Assist System in an Awake Ovine Model.

The pulmonary assist system (PAS) is a wearable respiratory support system that is currently under development for patients with chronic lung disease as a bridge to lung transplantation or as destination therapy. This study evaluates the long-term performance and biocompatibility of the PAS in a 5-d awake, ovine model. The PAS was attached to normal sheep in venovenous configuration. Components of the PAS included a 0.9 m2 surface area oxygenator and a lightweight, battery-powered axial flow pump. The system was also tested using the Abbott PediMag as the control pump. Each sheep was supported on the PAS for 5 d with 2 L/min blood flow and 4 L/min sweep gas. Activated clotting times of 200-240 s were maintained using intravenous heparin. Pump performance, oxygen transfer, oxygenator resistance, and hematologic parameters were measured throughout the support. The PAS, either using the axial flow pump or PediMag (n = 4 each), was well tolerated by the sheep without signs of device-related organ damage or hemolysis. All the studies achieved the full, 5-d study duration. The oxygenator resistance remained consistent without significant clot formation in all experiments with an average resistance of 2.55 ± 0.10 mm Hg/(L/min). The system achieved an average oxygen transfer rate of 116.4 ± 5.5 mL/min, with an average Hb concentration of 9.2 ± 0.6 g/dL. White blood cell, platelet, and hematocrit levels also remained stable and within normal limits throughout the study period. The PAS provided 5 d of uncomplicated ambulatory respiratory support with minimal clot formation, stable gas exchange, blood flow resistance, and hematologic parameters.

Dose-response study on the transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from a tansy ragwort extract (Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn.) to bovine milk

Ragworts like tansy ragwort (J. vulgaris Gaertn., syn. Senecio jacobaea L.) contain hepatotoxic and cancerogenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) and their corresponding pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides (PANO). Due to increasing spread of ragworts (Jacobaea spp.) PA/PANO may pose a health risk to animals and humans consuming contaminated feed and food. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the transfer of individual PA/PANO originating from a well-defined PA/PANO extract into the milk of dairy cows. For this objective, 16 German Holstein cows were assigned to four treatment groups (n = 4) in a 28-day dose-response study. Administration into the reticulorumen was performed daily by gavage after the morning milking. Three groups received different amounts of the J. vulgaris extract resulting in a PA/PANO exposure of 0.47, 0.95, or 1.91 mg PA/PANO/kg body weight/day, respectively. Furthermore, a control group received molasses to account for the sugar content of the used PA/PANO extract. While the composition of the PA/PANO extract was more diverse, the PA/PANO pattern in milk was dominated by the PA in their free base form. It was shown that mainly PA considered stable in the rumen environment were transferred into the milk. The main compounds in milk were jacoline (74.3 ± 2.4% of the PA/PANO sum), jaconine (11.2 ± 1.3%), and jacobine (7.2 ± 0.6%) with concentrations up to 29.7, 4.65 µg/l, or in the highest exposed group, 3.44 µg/l. There was no dose-dependent effect on the total PA/PANO transfer rate into the milk. The average transfer rate was 0.064 ± 0.005% of the administered content.

Time-dependent electron transfer and energy dissipation in condensed media.

We study a moving adsorbate interacting with a metal electrode immersed in a solvent using the time-dependent Newns-Anderson-Schmickler model Hamiltonian. We have adopted a semiclassical trajectory treatment of the adsorbate to discuss the electron and energy transfers that occur between the adsorbate and the electrode. Using Keldysh Green's function scheme, we found a non-adiabatically suppressed electron transfer caused by the motion of the adsorbate and coupling with bath phonons that model the solvent. The energy is thus dissipated into electron-hole pair excitations, which are hindered by interacting with the solvent modes and facilitated by the applied electrode potential. The average energy transfer rate is discussed in terms of the electron friction coefficient and given an analytical expression in the slow-motion limit.

Ultrafast Electron Transfer from CuInS2 Quantum Dots to a Molecular Catalyst for Hydrogen Production: Challenging Diffusion Limitations.

Systems integrating quantum dots with molecular catalysts are attracting ever more attention, primarily owing to their tunability and notable photocatalytic activity in the context of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). CuInS2 (CIS) quantum dots (QDs) are effective photoreductants, having relatively high-energy conduction bands, but their electronic structure and defect states often lead to poor performance, prompting many researchers to employ them with a core-shell structure. Molecular cobalt HER catalysts, on the other hand, often suffer from poor stability. Here, we have combined CIS QDs, surface-passivated with l-cysteine and iodide from a water-based synthesis, with two tetraazamacrocyclic cobalt complexes to realize systems which demonstrate high turnover numbers for the HER (up to >8000 per catalyst), using ascorbate as the sacrificial electron donor at pH = 4.5. Photoluminescence intensity and lifetime quenching data indicated a large degree of binding of the catalysts to the QDs, even with only ca. 1 μM each of QDs and catalysts, linked to an entirely static quenching mechanism. The data was fitted with a Poissonian distribution of catalyst molecules over the QDs, from which the concentration of QDs could be evaluated. No important difference in either quenching or photocatalysis was observed between catalysts with and without the carboxylate as a potential anchoring group. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed ultrafast interfacial electron transfer from the QDs and the formation of the singly reduced catalyst (CoII state) for both complexes, with an average electron transfer rate constant of <kET> ≈ (10 ps)-1. These favorable results confirm that the core tetraazamacrocyclic cobalt complex is remarkably stable under photocatalytic conditions and that CIS QDs without inorganic shell structures for passivation can act as effective photosensitizers, while their smaller size makes them suitable for application in the sensitization of, inter alia, mesoporous electrodes.

Turbulent energy transfers in physical and scale spaces at dissipative length scales

In statistically stationary homogeneous incompressible turbulence, the average energy transfer rate balance which exists at diffusion/dissipation-dominated length scales does not reflect what actually happens locally in space and time. We use a highly resolved direct numerical simulation of forced periodic turbulence to shed some light on the actual fluctuating dynamics which occur at these very small scales and which are rubbed off by averaging. Even though the viscous diffusion in physical space averages to zero and fluctuates less intensely than all other terms (except the energy input rate) in the local (in space–time) two-point energy balance, it fundamentally cannot be neglected. The local unsteadiness and the interspace turbulence transport terms cannot be ignored either in the interscale energy dynamics in spite of the fact that they also average to zero.

Cross Contamination during Simulated Food Pantry Handling of Apples, Oranges and Potatoes

Food pantries receive, store, distribute and serve food to hundreds of people throughout a community. Safe food handling during all these activities is of paramount importance or food may support growth of pathogens and result in foodborne illnesses after consumption. Year round, and more frequently during holiday seasons, food pantries are seeking food donations to support people in need. Since most food pantries products are donated, the safety of these products from a health perspective can be tricky. The quality of food donations coupled with the way food is handled in these facilities can pose major safety concerns. To determine the potential for transfer of bacteria during handling of food at food pantries, apples, potatoes and oranges were inoculated with a non-pathogenic, fluorescently-labeled strain of Escherichia coli, then handled with gloved hands after which another non-inoculated apple, potato or orange was handled. E. coli was then enumerated from each piece of food and gloves to determine the transfer rate from the inoculated piece of food to gloves and the non-inoculated food. The average transfer rate from the inoculated food to gloves was 36.4%, from glove to un-inoculated food was 42.4% and from the inoculated food to un-inoculated food was 15.2%. Whether it be from surfaces or hands, cross-contamination of food and surfaces can readily occur and can result in increased likelihood of illness unless proper hygiene is employed. Food pantries can reduce the likelihood of microbial cross-contamination using proper handwashing techniques, and sanitation of surfaces and utensils. Proper hygiene is critical for food pantries to reduce the likelihood of bacterial transfer to previously uncontaminated surfaces.

Establishing Normative Values for Healthy Term Infant Feeding Performance: Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool-Mixed, Oral Feeding Scale, and Early Feeding Skills Assessment.

Infants with perceived feeding problems are frequently referred for assessment of their feeding abilities. However, little is known regarding how healthy nondysphagic infants perform on commonly used assessments, making determination of impairment difficult. The aim of this investigation was to elucidate the characteristics of healthy term infant feeding performance using three commonly employed clinical assessments: Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool-Mixed (NeoEat-Mixed), Oral Feeding Scale, and Early Feeding Skills (EFS). In this prospective case-control study, we recruited 30 infants without feeding impairments to undergo video-monitored bottle feeds under their normal feeding conditions. Caregiver perception of infant feeding was evaluated using the NeoEat-Mixed. Milk ingestion was monitored real time using the Oral Feeding Scale for rate of milk transfer and modified proficiency as characterized by the total volume consumed out of the total volume the caregiver provided. Videos were analyzed by two speech pathologists using the EFS assessment. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize performance. Participants underwent feeding monitoring at an average chronological age of 4 ± 2 months. Caregivers primarily reported normal, nonconcerning feeding patterns across all of the NeoEAT-Mixed outcomes. Infants consumed milk at an average rate of transfer of 7 ± 3 ml/min, a modified proficiency of 50 ± 21%, and achieved the highest OFS score of 4 (93%, n = 28). The majority of infants scored the best EFS score (mature-3) as it related to the absence of color changes during the feed (97%, n = 29), although commonly scored in the worst EFS score (immature-1) in their presentation of one or more compelling stress cues (63%, n = 19). Establishing healthy term infant normative values for commonly used feeding assessments is critical in accurately distinguishing infants with feeding impairments from those with normal developmental variants.

A Comparative Analysis of High Availability for Linux Container Infrastructures

In the current era of prevailing information technology, the requirement for high availability and reliability of various types of services is critical. This paper focusses on the comparison and analysis of different high-availability solutions for Linux container environments. The objective was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each solution and to determine the optimal container approach for common use cases. Through a series of structured experiments, basic performance metrics were collected, including average service recovery time, average transfer rate, and total number of failed calls. The container platforms tested included Docker, Kubernetes, and Proxmox. On the basis of a comprehensive evaluation, it can be concluded that Docker with Docker Swarm is generally the most effective high-availability solution for commonly used Linux containers. Nevertheless, there are specific scenarios in which Proxmox stands out, for example, when fast data transfer is a priority or when load balancing is not a critical requirement.

Cannabinoid contents in hemp teas and estimation of their transfer into tea infusions

This study focused on the investigation of cannabinoid profiles and contents of 23 different hemp teas and on the individual transfer of 16 cannabinoids from hemp teas into their tea infusions. The total cannabinoid content in the dry products averaged 14,960 mg kg−1, with CBD&CBDA (sum of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)) being the major component, accounting for 87% of the total cannabinoid content. The Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) content ranged from 16 mg kg−1 to 935 mg kg−1 and was on average 221 mg kg−1. For each hemp tea, an infusion was prepared according to a standardized protocol issued by the German Standardisation body DIN and transfer rates per cannabinoid were estimated by comparing the contents in the dry material with the concentrations in the aqueous infusion. The limited water solubility of cannabinoids results in limited extraction efficiency for cannabinoids using boiling water to prepare a tea infusion and the average transfer rate of the psychoactive Δ9-THC was only 0.5%.

Hot water washing processing technology of Euodiae Fructus based on change laws of active components and tastes

In order to establish the standardized processing technology of the hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus, this study, based on the traditional processing method of hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus recorded in ancient works and modern processing specifications of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, took the yield of decoction pieces and the content of main components as the indicators and optimized the processing conditions by orthogonal test based on the results of single factor investigation. At the same time, electronic tongue technology was used to analyze the change law of the taste index of Euodiae Fructus during the hot water washing. The results of the single factor investigation showed that the content of the main components in Euodiae Fructus showed some regular changes during the processing. Specifically, the content of chlorogenic acid, hyperin, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-galactoside, and dehydroevodiamine decreased significantly, with average decreases of-23.75%,-27.80%,-14.04%,-14.03%, and-13.11%, respectively. The content of limonin increased significantly with an average increase of 19.83%. The content of evodiamine, rutaecarpine, evocarpine, and dihydroevocarpine showed fluctuating changes and generally increased, with average variation amplitudes of 0.54%,-3.78%, 2.69%, and 5.13%, respectively. The orthogonal test results showed that the optimum processing parameters for the hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus were as follows: washing time of 2 min, the solid-to-liquid ratio of 1∶10 g·mL~(-1), washing temperature of 80 ℃, washing once, and drying at 50 ℃. After the hot water washing processing, the average yield of Euodiae Fructus pieces was 94.80%. The content of limonin, evodiamine, and rutaecarpine was higher than those of raw pro-ducts, and the average transfer rates were 102.56%, 103.15%, and 105.16%, respectively. The content of dehydroevodiamine was lower than that of the raw products, and the average transfer rate was 83.04%. The results of taste analysis showed that the hot water washing could significantly reduce the salty, astringent, and bitter tastes of Euodiae Fructus. This study revealed the influence of the hot water washing on the content of main components and taste of Euodiae Fructus, and the processing technology of the hot water was-hing of Euodiae Fructus established in this study was stable, feasible, and suitable for industrial production, which laid a foundation for clarifying its processing principle and improving the quality standard and clinical application value of decoction pieces.

Theoretical analysis of unsteady buoyant turbulent heat and mass transport from a vertical plate using LRN k-ϵ model

The contemporary analysis has been developed to investigate the transient natural convective combined heat and mass transport of a turbulent flow adjacent to the plate by utilizing the low Reynolds number (LRN) k-ϵ model. The research problem on turbulent flow is assumed to be two dimensional and viscous incompressible. The governing turbulent equations such as continuity, momentum, energy, concentration, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and dissipation rate of TKE are considered as per the flow geometry. Due to the non-availability of analytical or direct numerical techniques, the corresponding highly nonlinear PDE’s are solved by adopting the standard implicit type of finite difference method namely Crank–Nicolson scheme. Also, this scheme is unconditionally stable and helps to keep the governing turbulent flow equations in discretized form and are solved via tridiagonal matrix algorithm. The simulated results for several control parameters including turbulent Reynolds number are graphically displayed and also analyzed the flow profiles. To understand the physical phenomenon of turbulent flow, the authors shown the turbulent behavior of average momentum, energy and mass transfer rates. It has been noted that, the average temperature and concentration fields boosted with rising values of . Also, TKE and dissipation rate of TKE profiles increase with enhancing turbulent values. In addition, the simulated turbulent flow results from the LRN k-ϵ model are compared with usual laminar flows as a special case and found to be in respectable agreement.

BIO7: PAL-LR: a Reduced Resistance, Concentric-Gated Artificial Membrane Lung for Pediatric End-Stage Lung Failure

Purpose: This work focuses on the development of the Low Resistance Pediatric MLung (PAL-LR) with the goal of serving as a pumpless (pulmonary artery to left atrium) bridge-to-transplant device for small children with end-stage lung failure. Methods: The PAL-LR doubles the exposed fiber length of the Pediatric Artificial MLung. 9 PAL-LR MLungs were fabricated using polymethylpentene fibers (surface area: 0.44 m2). In vitro benchtop studies tested gas exchange and pressure drop performance (n=6). In an acute in vivo study, 3 PAL-LRs were anastomosed from the femoral vein to the jugular vein in an ovine model to assess hemocompatibility, device blood flow, pressure drop, and gas exchange. A centrifugal pump (Model 550 Bio-Console; Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) was used pre-device to maintain flows of 1 L/min while sweep gas was supplied for each blood flow rate at a 1:1 sweep:blood flow ratio. Results: For in vitro tests, average rated blood flow (outlet SO2 of 95%) was 2.46±0.22 L/min with a pressure drop of 25.7±3.1 mmHg. At the targeted pediatric flow rate of 1 L/min, the PAL-LR pressure drop was 8.6 mmHg compared to 25 mmHg of the PAL. At rated flow, the average O2 and CO2 transfer rates were 101.75±10.81 and 77.93±8.40 mL/min, respectively. The average maximum O2 and CO2 exchange efficiencies are 215.75±22.93 and 176.99±8.40 mL/(min*m2), respectively. In vivo tests revealed an average outlet SO2 of 100%, and average pressure drop of 2±0 mmHg for a blood flow of 1.07±0.02 L/min. After 5 hours of extracorporeal use per lung, the platelets increased 3.54% for the first lung, and decreased 0.21% and 0.17% for the second and third lungs, respectively. Analysis revealed some clotting at the outlet and around gates, likely due to recirculation which will be mitigated in future revisions. Summary: Having a lower resistance, the PAL-LR is a promising step closer to a pumpless artificial membrane lung that alleviates right ventricular strain associated with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

Variability in the levels of fungicide residues in final beer as they are influenced by various sequences of agrochemicals used for treatment on hops

The fate of during brewing of pesticides (organic compounds and copper) from hops was determined to reveal linkages between various pesticide sequences applied in hop yards and the level of pesticides in beer. For this purpose, laboratory-scale brewing trials were carried out with conventional hops from four localities in which pest control spray programs varied. Pesticide residue analysis in samples of hopped wort, young beer, and beer was carried out by liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Cu concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The transfer rates (%) of individual pesticides were calculated to demonstrate their ability to be transferred from hops to the brewed solutions. The pesticides exhibited different transfer rates correlating well with their log p values; however, the obtained transfer data were not related to their concentration in hops. The average transfer rates calculated for ametoctradin (15% ± 5%), mandipropamid (38% ± 4%), boscalid (48% ± 5%), and azoxystrobin (47% ± 2%) increased in good correlation with their descending log P values. On the contrary, the transfer rates of copper residues were related to residual concentrations of copper in hops and exhibited logarithmic dependency. The carryover of the sum of all pesticides in the four samples ranged from 36% to 49%, averaging 42% ± 6%. The data showed no substantial influence of various pesticide spray sequences on the percentages of overall pesticide residues carried over into beer.

Analysis of the Influence of Self-Similar Traffic on Efficiency Multiple Access Protocols

Introduction. Traffic in modern telecommunication radio networks is self-similar, therefore, the use of methods for calculating the parameters of Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) protocols adopted in the classical theory of teletraffic, based on Poisson distribution models, leads to an underestimation of the load and stability of these protocols. Purpose. Build a mathematical model for the operation of synchronous CSMA protocols with flexible and rigid strategies in conditions of self-shaped traffic. Obtain average transmission rate equations and their comparative analysis of the results of studies of the same protocols for traffic with the Poisson distribution. Methods. The goal is achieved by creating and analyzing a mathematical model for the operation of synchronous CSMA protocols with flexible and rigid strategies under conditions of Pareto-distributing traffic. The model is described by the equations of the average protocol transfer rate, which are a function of traffic intensity and Pareto distribution parameters. Results. It has been proven that self-similar traffic has a significant impact on the stability limit of CSMA protocols and their throughput, which must be taken into account when using these protocols in radio networks with long-term dependence on traffic distribution. At the same time, there is a slight decrease in the maximum average transmission rate of CSMA protocols compared to the traffic model with the Poisson distribution. Conclusions. The proposed mathematical model of CSMA protocols with flexible and rigid strategies makes it possible to calculate the real values of the average speed, stability limit, and throughput of these protocols under conditions of self-similar traffic.

Analysis of Strain Transfer in FBG-Based Embedded Optical Fiber 3-D Shape Sensor

The FBG-based embedded optical fiber 3-D shape sensor (FBG-EOFSS) composed of several different materials finds potential applications in various industrial and medical applications. The strain loss during the strain transfer affects the change of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor’s wavelength, which in turn deteriorates the position accuracy. In this article, first, we analyzed the strain transfer in FBG-EOFSS and derived the optical–mechanical transformation equation. Then, a strain transfer model combining mechanics, materials, and optics is developed based on the finite-element analysis (FEA) method. The FEA simulation results show that the strain transfer rate decreases by 27.7%/mm with the increase of the adhesive thickness under FBG. The optimal average strain transfer rate is about 0.97 when the elastic modulus of the adhesive is in the range of 109–1014 Pa. Moreover, the effect of the strain transfer on the position accuracy is analyzed. The relative position error of 3-D shape reconstruction increases by 8.4% with the strain transfer rate decreasing by 10%. Finally, an experimental system composed of the clamp, the displacement stage, and the FBG demodulator is developed. The strain sensitivity coefficients of bare FBGs and FBG sensors were tested quantitatively. The corresponding average strain transfer rate was calculated by the strain sensitivity coefficients. The results can potentially conduce to the design of 3-D shape sensors and improve the positioning accuracy.

ARMOR: Differential Model Distribution for Adversarially Robust Federated Learning

In this work, we formalize the concept of differential model robustness (DMR), a new property for ensuring model security in federated learning (FL) systems. For most conventional FL frameworks, all clients receive the same global model. If there exists a Byzantine client who maliciously generates adversarial samples against the global model, the attack will be immediately transferred to all other benign clients. To address the attack transferability concern and improve the DMR of FL systems, we propose the notion of differential model distribution (DMD) where the server distributes different models to different clients. As a concrete instantiation of DMD, we propose the ARMOR framework utilizing differential adversarial training to prevent a corrupted client from launching white-box adversarial attack against other clients, for the local model received by the corrupted client is different from that of benign clients. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate that ARMOR can significantly reduce both the attack success rate (ASR) and average adversarial transfer rate (AATR) across different FL settings. For instance, for a 35-client FL system, the ASR and AATR can be reduced by as much as 85% and 80% over the MNIST dataset.