Interference Level Research Articles

Cognitive flexibility training for chronic pain: a randomized clinical study.

Previous studies suggest an association between cognitive flexibility and development of chronic pain after surgery. It is not known whether cognitive flexibility can be improved in patients with chronic pain. This study tested whether a neurocognitive training program results in improved cognitive flexibility and pain in patients with chronic pain. We conducted a single-center, prospective, randomized study investigating 5-week daily neurocognitive training in patients with chronic pain. Participants (n = 145) were randomized into neurocognitive training or care as usual, and they completed assessments at baseline, posttreatment, and 3 months. The treatment group was asked to spend 35 minutes daily completing a program with tasks on cognitive flexibility, memory, attention, and speed. The primary outcome was performance on the neurocognitive performance test (NCPT). Secondary outcomes included levels of pain interference and severity. At 5 weeks, the treatment group showed greater improvements on NCPT compared with the control group (d = 0.37); effect size was smaller at 3 months (d = 0.18). The treatment group reported lower pain severity at 5 weeks (d = 0.16) and 3 months (d = 0.39) than the control group, but pain interference was only lower at 3 months (d = 0.20). Outcomes suggest that using neurocognitive training to modify cognitive flexibility in patients with chronic pain may improve pain severity. This study provided effect size estimates to inform sample size calculations for randomized controlled trials to test the effectiveness of neurocognitive interventions for the prevention and treatment of chronic pain.

Using Haptic Technology for Pain Reduction and Functional Improvement

Advancements to reduce pain severity and improve functionality are generally lacking. Chronic or recurrent pain is the most common reason patients consult primary care clinicians. Adverse events associated with existing pharmacological pain treatments have incentivized researchers to identify effective pain treatment strategies that have limited side effects, including non-invasive and non-pharmacologic options. Research has shown that a clearer understanding of the pain neuromatrix may assist in identifying alternative approaches and improving patient outcomes. A network consisting of neuronal pathways and circuits responding to sensory (nociceptive) stimulation makes up the neuromatrix of pain. Research provides strong support that these pathways and areas of the brain have elicited change in response to external stimuli. Advancements in the understanding of how external tactile stimuli, specifically “haptic vibrotactile trigger technology (VTT)” disrupts the neuromatrix of pain, has led to the development of technology that shows promise in targeting the nociceptive pathways. Through ongoing research, the technology has been incorporated into non-invasive, non-pharmacological topical patches and other routes of delivery to evaluate response as it relates to different health concerns and conditions. The purpose of this IRB-approved, minimal risk, randomized, and blinded study was to evaluate patients’ experiences and/or perceptions and patient response for those who received a haptic vibrotactile trigger technology (VTT) embedded non-pharmacologic, non-invasive, over-the-counter pain patch (FREEDOM Super Patch with VTT; Srysty Holding CO, Toronto, Canada) and those who received a placebo patch without the embedded technology. This final outcome data from the HARMONI Study adds to previously published interim data. Methods: Baseline, 7- and 14-day data were recorded in one hundred sixty-eight (168) adult subjects (107 females and 61 males) in a Treatment Group (n=148) or Control Group (n=20) with a mean age of 53 years who presented with mild, moderate and even severe musculoskeletal, arthritic and neurological pain. The study evaluated changes in overall severity and interference scores via a validated scale (Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)), changes in the use of prescription and OTC medications, patient satisfaction, and any side effects reported while using an active or placebo patch. Results: For the Treatment Group, results showed statistically significant decreases in mean BPI severity and interference scores after using the VTT embedded pain patch. After 14 days, the vast majority of patients reported “less” or “a lot less” usage of oral medications and were very/extremely satisfied with the patch. Results also showed statistically significant and positive outcomes in all measured Quality of Life (QoL) components with improvements in general activity, mood, relations with other people, sleep, normal work, walking ability, and enjoyment of life. In the Control Group, there were no significant changes in pain severity, interference levels, usage of medications, and patient satisfaction was poor during the 14 day study period. Conclusions: Study results indicate that this non-pharmacologic, non-invasive, haptic vibrotactile trigger technology (VTT) embedded topical patch reduces pain severity and interference scores and may reduce the use of concurrent medications, including prescribed anti-inflammatory and other oral medication for adult patients with arthritic, neuropathic, and musculoskeletal pain. Results reported suggest that the non-pharmacological topical pain patch should be added to the current arsenal of noninvasive and nonpharmacological pain therapies.

Multiple Genomic Landscapes of Recombination and Genomic Divergence in Wild Populations of House Mice-The Role of Chromosomal Fusions and Prdm9.

Chromosomal fusions represent one of the most common types of chromosomal rearrangements found in nature. Yet, their role in shaping the genomic landscape of recombination and hence genome evolution remains largely unexplored. Here, we take advantage of wild mice populations with chromosomal fusions to evaluate the effect of this type of structural variant on genomic landscapes of recombination and divergence. To this aim, we combined cytological analysis of meiotic crossovers in primary spermatocytes with inferred analysis of recombination rates based on linkage disequilibrium using single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results suggest the presence of a combined effect of Robertsonian fusions and Prdm9 allelic background, a gene involved in the formation of meiotic double strand breaks and postzygotic reproductive isolation, in reshaping genomic landscapes of recombination. We detected a chromosomal redistribution of meiotic recombination toward telomeric regions in metacentric chromosomes in mice with Robertsonian fusions when compared to nonfused mice. This repatterning was accompanied by increased levels of crossover interference and reduced levels of estimated recombination rates between populations, together with high levels of genomic divergence. Interestingly, we detected that Prdm9 allelic background was a major determinant of recombination rates at the population level, whereas Robertsonian fusions showed limited effects, restricted to centromeric regions of fused chromosomes. Altogether, our results provide new insights into the effect of Robertsonian fusions and Prdm9 background on meiotic recombination.

No two without three: Modeling dynamics of the trio RNA virus-defective interfering genomes-satellite RNAs

Almost all viruses, regardless of their genomic material, produce defective viral genomes (DVG) as an unavoidable byproduct of their error-prone replication. Defective interfering (DI) elements are a subgroup of DVGs that have been shown to interfere with the replication of the wild-type (WT) virus. Along with DIs, other genetic elements known as satellite RNAs (satRNAs), that show no genetic relatedness with the WT virus, can co-infect cells with WT helper viruses and take advantage of viral proteins for their own benefit. These satRNAs have effects that range from reduced symptom severity to enhanced virulence. The interference dynamics of DIs over WT viruses has been thoroughly modeled at within-cell, within-host, and population levels. However, nothing is known about the dynamics resulting from the nonlinear interactions between WT viruses and DIs in the presence of satellites, a process that is frequently seen in plant RNA viruses and in biomedically relevant pathosystems like hepatitis B virus and its δ satellite. Here, we look into a simple phenomenological mathematical model that describes how a WT virus replicates and produces DIs in presence of a satRNA. The WT virus is subject to mechanisms of complementation, competition, and various levels of interference from DIs and the satRNA. Examining the dynamics analytically and numerically reveals three possible regimes: (i) full extinction, (ii) satellite extinction and virus-DIs coexistence and (iii) full coexistence. Assuming DIs replicate faster than the satRNA owed to their smaller size drives to scenario (ii), which implies that DIs could wipe out the satRNA. In addition, a small region of the parameter space exists wherein the system is bistable (either scenarios (ii) or (iii) are concurrently stable). We have identified transcritical bifurcations in the transitions between scenarios (i) to (iii) and saddle–node bifurcations behind the change from bistability to monostability. Despite the model simplicity, our findings may have applications in biomedicine and agronomy. They will cast light on the dynamics of this three-species system and aid in the identification of scenarios in which the clearance of the satRNAs may be possible thus e.g., allowing for less severe disease symptoms.

Life course socioeconomic status, chronic pain, and the mediating role of allostatic load: findings from the midlife in the United States.

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to chronic pain (CP); however, the mechanisms by which SES over the life course influences downstream CP outcomes remain unclear. This study utilizes data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, a prospective sample of community-dwelling individuals (N=781), to investigate the chain of risk additive model of SES in relation to CP. Additionally, the study examines the mediating role of allostatic load (AL) in the relationship between life course SES and CP. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to capture the multidimensionality of life course SES and path analysis was used to examine the direct and indirect effects on CP. AL was computed by quartile-based summation and by latent class analysis. Results indicated lower SES in MIDUS 2 was associated with greater high-interference CP odds in MIDUS 3 (OR=1.069, 95% CI=1.006-1.136, P < 0.05) and no association was found between distal SES and levels of CP interference. Similarly, no significant relationship was observed between SES and the number of CP locations. Additionally, no additive effects of SES were found, and AL did not present mediation effects on the association between life course SES and CP. The present study emphasizes the importance of directly proximal effects of SES on CP, underscoring the need for equitable distribution of health resources and the implementation of policies focused on diminishing socioeconomic inequalities. Further research is needed to examine alternative pathways by which proximal SES impact CP.

Federated learning based modulation classification for multipath channels

Deep learning (DL)-based automatic modulation classification (AMC) is a primary research field for identifying modulation types. However, traditional DL-based AMC approaches rely on hand-crafted features, which can be time-consuming and may not capture all relevant information in the signal. Additionally, they are centralized solutions that are trained on large amounts of data acquired from local clients and stored on a server, leading to weak performance in terms of correct classification probability. To address these issues, a federated learning (FL)-based AMC approach is proposed, called FL-MP-CNN-AMC, which takes into account the effects of multipath channels (reflected and scattered paths) and considers the use of a modified loss function for solving the class imbalance problem caused by these channels. In addition, hyperparameter tuning and optimization of the loss function are discussed and analyzed to improve the performance of the proposed approach. The classification performance is investigated by considering the effects of interference level, delay spread, scattered and reflected paths, phase offset, and frequency offset. The simulation results show that the proposed approach provides excellent performance in terms of correct classification probability, confusion matrix, convergence and communication overhead when compared to contemporary methods.

Painful physical symptoms and antidepressant treatment outcome in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Painful physical symptoms (PPS) are highly prevalent in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Presence of PPS in depressed patients are potentially associated with poorer antidepressant treatment outcome. We aimed to evaluate the association of baseline pain levels and antidepressant treatment outcomes. We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases from inception through February 2023 based on a pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022381349). We included original studies that reported pretreatment pain measures in antidepressant treatment responder/remitter and non-responder/non-remitter among patients with MDD. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses by two reviewers independently. The primary outcome was the difference of the pretreatment pain levels between antidepressant treatment responder/remitter and non-responder/non-remitter. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate effect sizes (Hedge's g) and subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to explore sources of heterogeneity. A total of 20 studies were included. Six studies reported significantly higher baseline pain severity levels in MDD treatment non-responders (Hedge's g = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.51; P = 0.0008). Six studies reported the presence of PPS (measured using a pain severity scale) was significantly associated with poor treatment response (OR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.04-2.04; P = 0.028). Five studies reported significant higher baseline pain interference levels in non-responders (Hedge's g = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.32-0.61; P < 0.0001). Four studies found significantly higher baseline pain severity levels in non-remitters (Hedge's g = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14-0.40; P < 0.0001). Eight studies reported the presence of PPS significantly associated with treatment non-remission (OR = 1.70; 95% CI, 1.24-2.32; P = 0.0009). This study suggests that PPS are negatively associated with the antidepressant treatment outcome in patients with MDD. It is possible that better management in pain conditions when treating depression can benefit the therapeutic effects of antidepressant medication in depressed patients.

On the Performance of Partial LIS for 6G Systems

One of the key technologies of 6G communications relies on large intelligent surfaces (LIS), which can be viewed as a near-field beamformer that is supportive of extremely high symbol rates and enables a high level of interference avoidance. This article focuses on LIS systems, analysing the impact of the use of a whole LIS system or a subset of an antenna array. We analyse an LIS system associated with a single carrier with frequency domain equalization (SC-FDE), and with different receiver types of varying complexities. Because it is a function of the number of antennas, the computational complexity decreases when antenna elements that are closer to the user equipment are used instead of the whole LIS. Moreover, with a partial LIS, a reduction of energy consumption is achieved, and mitigation of the interference levels is obtained, allowing a performance very close to that obtained with the whole LIS system.

Testing relational turbulence theory in daily life using dynamic structural equation modeling

Abstract Using dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM; Asparouhov et al., 2018), this study tests how partner disruptions of daily routines create a chaotic relational state through intensified emotions directed at partners, as posited by relational turbulence theory (RTT; Solomon et al., 2016). To test this affective process, individuals in dating relationships (N = 130) completed daily surveys for 30 days (T = 30; 3,478 total observations), measuring that day’s interference from their partner, anger experienced while interacting with their partner, and their relational turbulence. DSEM accounted for the intensive longitudinal aspects of the data while modeling three types of person-specific random effects: random intercepts to account for subject-specific averages; random slopes to account for subject-specific effects; and random variances to account for subject-specific volatility. RTT processes were supported, as greater than typical interference of routines in daily life predicted more relational turbulence that day via increased daily anger (controlling for the previous day’s levels). The use of DSEM allowed us to further test RTT by modeling person-specific inertia and volatility (for levels of interference, anger, and relational turbulence throughout a month). The use of a multilevel “location-scale” DSEM with random intercepts and random variances revealed that attachment avoidance and anxiety predicted a variety of person-specific features of the studied longitudinal processes: averages, inertia, and volatility over time. We provide our data and a supplemental primer to illustrate how to test communication theory with DSEM and model the intensive dynamics of daily life.

Effects of time varying aircraft noise on indoor speech interference

Aircraft noise can create noticeable speech interference inside buildings adjacent to airports. Outdoor aircraft take off noise measurements were completed and used to study time varying effects on indoor environments. Preliminary results suggest changing levels of speech interference over the duration of aircraft take off events.

Unlocking the True Power of Additive Manufacturing for EMI Shielding

Miniaturization trends in electronic packaging led to reduced spacing of individual packages on the printed circuit boards and thus increased the overall electromagnetic interference (EMI) levels within a device. State-of-the-art conformal coatings as EMI shielding layers are typically applied via sputter technology and offer design limitations with respect to coating selectivity on individual positions of the overall package. Our new technology of additively Ag layer application via inkjet printing overcomes today’s design limitations and is key enabler for next generations packaging designs. In this study, we compare the shielding effectiveness (S.E.) on specifically designed transmission line emitter samples coated with state-of-the-art sputtered conformal layers against silver coatings applied via inkjet printing of particle free metal organic decomposition inks to evaluate the new technology for its potential on package level shielding performance. Mechanical and electrical characterization of the silver coatings indicate appropriate tools to specify layer characteristics and ensure S.E. of 40 dB or higher at frequencies of 800 MHz and higher. The suitability of our well-tailored silver coatings to match typical S.E. requirements is shown with even much thinner layer thickness as compared to state-of-the-art coatings.

Optimal Incoherent Reception Noise Immunity of Binary Signals with Differential Phase Manipulation in the Presence of Several Harmonic Interferences

This article proposes the calculation of the probabilities of incoherent reception of signals with binary relative phase manipulation (OFM–2) in the presence of several harmonic interference. Examples of calculating the error probability per bit of receiving signals from OFM – 2 according to the presented method in the presence of several harmonic interference are shown. The obtained graphs depend on the magnitude of the signal at different values of interference and the same magnitude of the frequency shift, as well as on the frequency shift of interference at different levels of signals and interference. The results of the study using this technique allow us to calculate with high accuracy and reliable forecasting the reliability of transmitted information in radio communication channels under the influence of several harmonic interference during processing on two clock cycles. And also to predict the maximum damage to the process of transmitting information in a radio communication channel under various conditions: the coincidence of interference frequencies with the signal frequency, the offset of interference frequencies relative to the signal frequency and the spread of interference frequencies with the signal frequency.

Signed Fingermark Liveness Detection Method Based on Deep Residual Networks and Multimodal Decision Fusion

Fingermarks play an important role in document identification. At the same time, fingermarks on paper documents are often accompanied by signatures and background text, which introduce noise to the original fingermark textures and increase the difficulty of detection. A signed fingermark detection method based on deep residual networks and a decision-level fusion strategy was proposed to defend against spoofing attacks from fake fingermarks. Firstly, the multi-scale structure was introduced in the residual module, which improved the network’s depth and breadth without increasing the parameters. Then, the multi-probability label strategy was refined and employed to enhance the local encoding ability of the feature extraction. A score fusion strategy was designed, with weights allocated based on the difference in signed interference levels of local image blocks. Finally, a model fusion strategy based on evidence theory was suggested, which improved detection accuracy by leveraging complementarity between models. A large-scale fingermark database was established, which included real fingermarks made from real fingers and fake fingermarks made from various materials, and this was divided into two sub databases: signed and unsigned. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves 96.16% accuracy based on the fingerprint dataset of the global liveness detection competition called LivDet2017 and achieves 99.30% accuracy based on the signed fingermark database, while it has good resistance to spoofing attacks from unknown materials.

Optimizing Multichannel Path Scheduling in Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks using Differential Evolution

One important area of study in cognitive radio ad hoc networks is multi-channel path scheduling. Cognitive radio networks have trouble communicating and using the spectrum effectively because of weather and dispersion. Optimizing multichannel path scheduling enhances network performance and reliability in a cognitive radio ad hoc net. The Optimizing Multichannel Path Scheduling (OMPS) model methodically tackles various scheduling problems. For the OMPS model, this domain is new. It effectively resolves multichannel path scheduling. The computer method used in the study is called Differential Evolution. During optimization, several factors are carefully considered, including Channel Fade Margin, Cross-Correlation and Coherence Time, Spectral Efficiency, Interference Level, Power Consumption, Retransmission Rate, Access Probability, and Propagation Delay. To increase the scheduling efficiency of the DE algorithm, many steps are meticulously planned: initialization, mutation, crossover, fitness evaluation, selection for iteration evolution, and termination. Latency, Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), Spectrum Utilization, Interference Level, Energy Efficiency, and Established Path Success Rate are all assessed by the OMPS model. These indicators assess the effectiveness and dependability of the network. OMPS performs better in crucial simulations than the existing model. The demonstration demonstrates decreased latency for real-time applications, greater packet delivery ratios (PDRs), improved spectrum efficiency, channel interference, energy efficiency, and connection formation odds, as well as increased throughput that enhances network resource utilization. To do this, a variety of multichannel path scheduling situations are simulated.

Sexual harassment and patterns of symptoms and functional abilities in a psychiatric sample of adolescents

Purpose To investigate how commonly adolescent psychiatric outpatients with symptoms of depression and anxiety report having been subjected to sexual harassment, and to explore how symptoms and functional abilities differ between adolescent psychiatric outpatients with symptoms of depression and anxiety who do report and those who do not report having been subjected to sexual harassment. Methods Swedish adolescent psychiatric outpatients with symptoms of depression or anxiety (n = 324; 66 boys and 258 girls, aged 12–19 years, M = 15.6, SD = 1.7) answered the PROMIS paediatric measures. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess differences between the respondents classified as ‘Sexually harassed’ and ‘Not sexually harassed’ based on these self-report questionnaires. Results About 60% of the adolescents reported having been subjected to sexual harassment, and reported higher levels of suicidal ideation, disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety, depression, anger, and pain interference, as well as lower functional ability in terms of school problems, alcohol consumption, and poor family relationships. Logistic regression analyses showed that the strongest associations were with suicidal ideation, disturbed sleep, anger, and alcohol consumption. Conclusions About 60% of the adolescents in the studied psychiatric cohort reported having been subjected to sexual harassment. Reported experiences were high in all three subtypes, with the most reports on having been subjected to verbal harassment. Clinicians should ask about experiences of sexual harassment and give information about the consequences of sexual violence and treatment options. Alcohol consumption should be addressed and tested for. Structured assessment of suicidality should always be done.

Scale Modular Test Platform for the Characterization of PD Measuring Systems Using HFCT Sensors.

Today, online partial discharge (PD) measurements are common practice to assess the condition status of dielectrics in high-voltage (HV) electrical grids. However, when online PD measurements are carried out in electrical facilities, several disadvantages must be considered. Among the most important are high levels of changing electrical noise and interferences, signal phase couplings (cross-talk phenomena), and the simultaneous presence of various defects and difficulties in localizing and identifying them. In the last few decades, various PD-measuring systems have been developed to deal with these inconveniences and try to achieve the adequate supervision of electrical installations. In the state of the art, one of the main problems that electrical companies and technology developers face is the difficulty in characterizing the measuring system's functionalities in laboratory setups or in real-world facilities, where simulated or real defects must be detected. This is mainly due to the complexity and costs that the laboratory setups entail and the fact that the facilities are permanently in service. Furthermore, in the latter scenario, owners cannot assign facilities to carry out the tests, which could cause irreversible damage. Additionally, with the aforementioned installations, a comparison of results over time in various locations is not possible, and noise conditions cannot be controlled to perform the characterizations in a correct way. To deal with the problems indicated, in this article, an affordable scale modular test platform that simulates an HV installation is presented, where real on-site PD measuring conditions are simulated and controlled. In this first development, the HV installation comprises a cable system connected at both ends to a gas-insulated substation (GIS). As the most common acquisition technique in online applications is based on the placement of high-frequency current transformer (HFCT) sensors in the grounding cables of facilities, the test platform is mainly adapted to carry out measurements with this type of sensor. The designed and developed test platform was validated to assess its features and the degree of convergence with a real installation, showing the convenience of its use for the appropriate and standardized characterization of PD-measuring systems.

How microscopic epistasis and clonal interference shape the fitness trajectory in a spin glass model of microbial long-term evolution

The adaptive dynamics of evolving microbial populations takes place on a complex fitness landscape generated by epistatic interactions. The population generically consists of multiple competing strains, a phenomenon known as clonal interference. Microscopic epistasis and clonal interference are central aspects of evolution in microbes, but their combined effects on the functional form of the population’s mean fitness are poorly understood. Here, we develop a computational method that resolves the full microscopic complexity of a simulated evolving population subject to a standard serial dilution protocol. Through extensive numerical experimentation, we find that stronger microscopic epistasis gives rise to fitness trajectories with slower growth independent of the number of competing strains, which we quantify with power-law fits and understand mechanistically via a random walk model that neglects dynamical correlations between genes. We show that increasing the level of clonal interference leads to fitness trajectories with faster growth (in functional form) without microscopic epistasis, but leaves the rate of growth invariant when epistasis is sufficiently strong, indicating that the role of clonal interference depends intimately on the underlying fitness landscape. The simulation package for this work may be found at https://github.com/nmboffi/spin_glass_evodyn.

Exploring Interference Issues in the Case of n25 Band Implementation for 5G/LTE Direct-to-Device NTN Services.

This paper delves into an interference analysis, focusing on the forthcoming Starlink Generation 2 satellites, stated to operate within the 1990-1995 MHz frequency band. The aim is to assess the potential interference from this Starlink system to the satellite receivers of mobile satellite systems (MSSs), which are set to function within the 1980-2010 MHz range, and satellite receivers of the NTN systems, which are planned to operate in the n256 bands, defined by the 3GPP specifications. Through simulation-based evaluations, both single-entry and aggregate interference levels from Starlink to MSSs and NTN systems are comprehensively explored. To estimate the interference impact, several protection criteria were used. The study is in line with the Recommendations of International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) and common approaches that are used when performing compatibility studies between satellite systems. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the n25 band for NTN direct-to-device services.

Taylor Tuna Optimizer‐based hybrid deep Q‐network for channel assignment in cognitive radio networks with user mobility and power control

SummaryCognitive radio networks (CRNs) have emerged as a promising solution to address the spectrum scarcity problem by allowing unlicensed secondary users (SUs) to opportunistically access the underutilized licensed spectrum bands. However, efficient channel assignment in CRNs, especially with user mobility and power control considerations, remains a challenging problem. Traditional channel assignment algorithms often struggle to adapt to changing network conditions, resulting in suboptimal performance. To address these challenges, this research presents a novel Taylor Tuna Optimizer‐based hybrid deep Q‐network (TayTO‐based HDQNet) for channel assignment in CRNs with user mobility and power control considerations. The proposed TayTO‐based HDQNet combines the Elman neural network architecture with the reinforcement learning framework of deep Q‐networks, tuned using the Taylor Tuna Optimizer. This hybrid approach enables intelligent channel assignment decisions while considering power consumption constraints, leading to efficient communication in CRNs. To train the HDQNet agent, a comprehensive dataset is generated through simulations of various CRN scenarios, incorporating channel availability, interference levels, and power consumption for different channel assignment decisions. The HDQNet agent undergoes iterative training using this dataset to develop an optimal channel assignment policy. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed TayTO‐based HDQNet approach done by MATLAB, achieving a high success rate of 98.47% and surpassing the reliability scores of previous studies. This highlights the improved performance and reliability of the proposed approach for channel assignment in CRNs.

The characteristics of negative corona discharge and radio interference at different altitudes based on coaxial wire–cylinder gap

The corona discharge from transmission lines in high-altitude areas is more severe than at lower altitudes. The radio interference caused thereby is a key factor to be considered when designing transmission lines. To study the influence of altitude on negative corona characteristics, an experimental platform comprising a movable small corona cage was established: experiments were conducted at four altitudes in the range of 1120‒4320 m, and data on the corona current pulse and radio interference level of 0.8-mm diameter fine copper wire under different negative voltages were collected. The experimental results show that the average amplitude, repetition frequency and average current of the corona current pulse increase with increasing altitude. The dispersion of pulse amplitude increases with increase in altitude, while the randomness of the pulse interval decreases continuously. Taking the average current as an intermediate variable, the relationship between radio interference level and altitude is obtained. The result of this research has some significance for understanding the corona discharge characteristics of ultra-high-voltage lines.