Online programming platforms are popular in programming education.However,there has been no research investigating students’real opinions and expectations of the error feedback mechanisms,leaving educators without a ...Online programming platforms are popular in programming education.However,there has been no research investigating students’real opinions and expectations of the error feedback mechanisms,leaving educators without a solid data foundation when attempting to improve the error feedback mechanisms.This paper makes a survey of 834 students across various programming courses and investigates student perceptions of error feedback mechanisms on online programming platforms.It explores the effectiveness of existing feedback,student satisfaction,and preferences for potential improvements,focusing on automatic error localization and program repair mechanisms.Results reveal a significant portion of students are dissatisfied with current feedback due to its limited informativeness.Students also express a clear demand for stronger feedback mechanisms,such as error localization and repair hints.Nevertheless,they prefer feedback that subtly guides them toward solutions,rather than providing direct and explicit answers,valuing the opportunity to enhance their debugging skills.The findings suggest a need for balanced,educational-focused feedback mechanisms that aid learning while promoting independent problem-solving.展开更多
The operational demands of a wide range significantly exacerbate combustion instability issues within ramjet combustor.To suppress combustion oscillations,an open-loop control system utilizing Linear Genetic Programmi...The operational demands of a wide range significantly exacerbate combustion instability issues within ramjet combustor.To suppress combustion oscillations,an open-loop control system utilizing Linear Genetic Programming(LGP)has been developed for a full-scale annular ramjet combustor.The LGP is used to generate control laws that include multi-frequency forcing.These laws are then transformed into square waves to actuate the solenoid valve,which modulates the kerosene supply for open-loop control.The results show that the duty cycle has little effect on instability amplitude,whereas an increase in frequency leads to a remarked reduction in combustion amplitude.After five generations evolvements,the pressure amplitude is reduced by 40.6% under the optimal control law generated by LGP.Furthermore,the machine learning process is depicted using a proximity map of control law similarity,with the search pathway visualized by the steepest descent.All individuals go forward to the upper left corner of the map with the evolution process,terminating at the optimal individual of the fifth generation.展开更多
In this paper,we study a class of Linear Fractional Programming on a nonempty bounded set,called the Problem(LFP),and design a branch and bound algorithm to find the global optimal solution of the problem(LFP).First,w...In this paper,we study a class of Linear Fractional Programming on a nonempty bounded set,called the Problem(LFP),and design a branch and bound algorithm to find the global optimal solution of the problem(LFP).First,we convert the problem(LFP)to the equivalent problem(EP2).Secondly,by applying the linear relaxation technique to the problem(EP2),the linear relaxation programming problem(LRP2Y)was obtained.Then,the overall framework of the algorithm is given,and the convergence and complexity of the algorithm are analyzed.Finally,experimental results are listed to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.展开更多
Every year, around the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury(SCI). SCI is a devastating medical condition that arises from trauma or disease-induced damage to the spinal cord, disruptin...Every year, around the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury(SCI). SCI is a devastating medical condition that arises from trauma or disease-induced damage to the spinal cord, disrupting the neural connections that allow communication between the brain and the rest of the body, which results in varying degrees of motor and sensory impairment. Disconnection in the spinal tracts is an irreversible condition owing to the poor capacity for spontaneous axonal regeneration in the affected neurons.展开更多
Programmable/reprogrammable magneto-responsive composites(MRCs)are highly desirable for applications in soft robotics,morphable actuators,and biomedical devices due to their capabilities of undergoing reversible,compl...Programmable/reprogrammable magneto-responsive composites(MRCs)are highly desirable for applications in soft robotics,morphable actuators,and biomedical devices due to their capabilities of undergoing reversible,complex,untethered,and rapid deformations.However,current MRC-based devices primarily rely on soft matrices,which revert to their original shapes and cease functioning when external magnetic fields are removed.Moreover,their magnetization programming,deformations,and functioning need to alternate between encoding and actuation platforms,limiting the adaptability and efficiency.Here,we present a reprogrammable magnetic shape-memory composite(RM-SMC)integrating a shape-memory polymer(SMP)skeleton with phase-transition magnetic microcapsules.High-intensity laser melts microcapsules for magnetic realignment under programmed fields,while low-intensity laser softens SMP for structural reconfiguration without compromising integrity.This dual-laser strategy facilitates in situ magnetization programming,shape morphing,and function execution within a single material system.Our innovative approach enables unique applications,including omnidirectional multi-degree-of-freedom actuators that can activate light switches,solar trackers that optimize energy capture,and adaptive impellers that modulate fluid pumping.By eliminating platform alternation and enabling shape/function retention post-actuation,the RM-SMC platform overcomes critical limitations in conventional MRCs,establishing a paradigm for multifunctional devices requiring persistent configuration control and field-independent operation.展开更多
During the use of robotics in applications such as antiterrorism or combat,a motion-constrained pursuer vehicle,such as a Dubins unmanned surface vehicle(USV),must get close enough(within a prescribed zero or positive...During the use of robotics in applications such as antiterrorism or combat,a motion-constrained pursuer vehicle,such as a Dubins unmanned surface vehicle(USV),must get close enough(within a prescribed zero or positive distance)to a moving target as quickly as possible,resulting in the extended minimum-time intercept problem(EMTIP).Existing research has primarily focused on the zero-distance intercept problem,MTIP,establishing the necessary or sufficient conditions for MTIP optimality,and utilizing analytic algorithms,such as root-finding algorithms,to calculate the optimal solutions.However,these approaches depend heavily on the properties of the analytic algorithm,making them inapplicable when problem settings change,such as in the case of a positive effective range or complicated target motions outside uniform rectilinear motion.In this study,an approach employing a high-accuracy and quality-guaranteed mixed-integer piecewise-linear program(QG-PWL)is proposed for the EMTIP.This program can accommodate different effective interception ranges and complicated target motions(variable velocity or complicated trajectories).The high accuracy and quality guarantees of QG-PWL originate from elegant strategies such as piecewise linearization and other developed operation strategies.The approximate error in the intercept path length is proved to be bounded to h^(2)/(4√2),where h is the piecewise length.展开更多
Generating dynamically feasible trajectory for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)in dense obstacle environments remains computationally intractable.This paper proposes a Safe Flight Corridor constrained Sequent...Generating dynamically feasible trajectory for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)in dense obstacle environments remains computationally intractable.This paper proposes a Safe Flight Corridor constrained Sequential Convex Programming(SFC-SCP)to improve the computation efficiency and reliability of trajectory generation.SFC-SCP combines the front-end convex polyhedron SFC construction and back-end SCP-based trajectory optimization.A Sparse A^(*)Search(SAS)driven SFC construction method is designed to efficiently generate polyhedron SFC according to the geometric relation among obstacles and collision-free waypoints.Via transforming the nonconvex obstacle-avoidance constraints to linear inequality constraints,SFC can mitigate infeasibility of trajectory planning and reduce computation complexity.Then,SCP casts the nonlinear trajectory optimization subject to SFC into convex programming subproblems to decrease the problem complexity.In addition,a convex optimizer based on interior point method is customized,where the search direction is calculated via successive elimination to further improve efficiency.Simulation experiments on dense obstacle scenarios show that SFC-SCP can generate dynamically feasible safe trajectory rapidly.Comparative studies with state-of-the-art SCP-based methods demonstrate the efficiency and reliability merits of SFC-SCP.Besides,the customized convex optimizer outperforms off-the-shelf optimizers in terms of computation time.展开更多
Due to the small size,active mobility,and intrinsic softness,miniature soft robots hold promising po-tentials in reaching the deep region inside living bodies otherwise inaccessible with compelling agility,adaptabilit...Due to the small size,active mobility,and intrinsic softness,miniature soft robots hold promising po-tentials in reaching the deep region inside living bodies otherwise inaccessible with compelling agility,adaptability and safety.Various materials and actuation strategies have been developed for creating soft robots,among which,ferromagnetic soft materials that self-actuate in response to external magnetic fields have attracted worldwide attention due to their remote controllability and excellent compatibil-ity with biological tissues.This review presents comprehensive and systematic research advancements in the design,fabrication,and applications of ferromagnetic soft materials for miniature robots,providing in-sights into their potential use in biomedical fields and beyond.The programming strategies of ferromag-netic soft materials are summarized and classified,including mold-assisted programming,3D printing-assisted programming,microassembly-assisted programming,and magnetization reprogramming.Each approach possesses unique advantages in manipulating the magnetic responsiveness of ferromagnetic soft materials to achieve outstanding actuation and deformation performances.We then discuss the biomedi-cal applications of ferromagnetic soft material-based soft robots(e.g.,minimally invasive surgery,targeted delivery,and tissue engineering),highlighting their potentials in revolutionizing biomedical technologies.This review also points out the current challenges and provides insights into future research directions,which we hope can serve as a useful reference for the development of next-generation adaptive miniature robots.展开更多
Learning-based methods have become mainstream for solving residential energy scheduling problems. In order to improve the learning efficiency of existing methods and increase the utilization of renewable energy, we pr...Learning-based methods have become mainstream for solving residential energy scheduling problems. In order to improve the learning efficiency of existing methods and increase the utilization of renewable energy, we propose the Dyna actiondependent heuristic dynamic programming(Dyna-ADHDP)method, which incorporates the ideas of learning and planning from the Dyna framework in action-dependent heuristic dynamic programming. This method defines a continuous action space for precise control of an energy storage system and allows online optimization of algorithm performance during the real-time operation of the residential energy model. Meanwhile, the target network is introduced during the training process to make the training smoother and more efficient. We conducted experimental comparisons with the benchmark method using simulated and real data to verify its applicability and performance. The results confirm the method's excellent performance and generalization capabilities, as well as its excellence in increasing renewable energy utilization and extending equipment life.展开更多
Over the last two decades,the dogma that cell fate is immutable has been increasingly challenged,with important implications for regenerative medicine.The brea kth rough discovery that induced pluripotent stem cells c...Over the last two decades,the dogma that cell fate is immutable has been increasingly challenged,with important implications for regenerative medicine.The brea kth rough discovery that induced pluripotent stem cells could be generated from adult mouse fibroblasts is powerful proof that cell fate can be changed.An exciting extension of the discovery of cell fate impermanence is the direct cellular reprogram ming hypothesis-that terminally differentiated cells can be reprogrammed into other adult cell fates without first passing through a stem cell state.展开更多
The brain's extracellular matrix(ECM),which is comprised of protein and glycosaminoglycan(GAG)scaffolds,constitutes 20%-40% of the human brain and is considered one of the largest influencers on brain cell functio...The brain's extracellular matrix(ECM),which is comprised of protein and glycosaminoglycan(GAG)scaffolds,constitutes 20%-40% of the human brain and is considered one of the largest influencers on brain cell functioning(Soles et al.,2023).Synthesized by neural and glial cells,the brain's ECM regulates a myriad of homeostatic cellular processes,including neuronal plasticity and firing(Miyata et al.,2012),cation buffering(Moraws ki et al.,2015),and glia-neuron interactions(Anderson et al.,2016).Considering the diversity of functions,dynamic remodeling of the brain's ECM indicates that this understudied medium is an active participant in both normal physiology and neurological diseases.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.92582204,No.62577007,and No.62177003the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant No.JKF-2025011975129.
文摘Online programming platforms are popular in programming education.However,there has been no research investigating students’real opinions and expectations of the error feedback mechanisms,leaving educators without a solid data foundation when attempting to improve the error feedback mechanisms.This paper makes a survey of 834 students across various programming courses and investigates student perceptions of error feedback mechanisms on online programming platforms.It explores the effectiveness of existing feedback,student satisfaction,and preferences for potential improvements,focusing on automatic error localization and program repair mechanisms.Results reveal a significant portion of students are dissatisfied with current feedback due to its limited informativeness.Students also express a clear demand for stronger feedback mechanisms,such as error localization and repair hints.Nevertheless,they prefer feedback that subtly guides them toward solutions,rather than providing direct and explicit answers,valuing the opportunity to enhance their debugging skills.The findings suggest a need for balanced,educational-focused feedback mechanisms that aid learning while promoting independent problem-solving.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12002372)the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by China Association for Science and Technology(No.2022QNRC001)the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(No.2021JJ40674)。
文摘The operational demands of a wide range significantly exacerbate combustion instability issues within ramjet combustor.To suppress combustion oscillations,an open-loop control system utilizing Linear Genetic Programming(LGP)has been developed for a full-scale annular ramjet combustor.The LGP is used to generate control laws that include multi-frequency forcing.These laws are then transformed into square waves to actuate the solenoid valve,which modulates the kerosene supply for open-loop control.The results show that the duty cycle has little effect on instability amplitude,whereas an increase in frequency leads to a remarked reduction in combustion amplitude.After five generations evolvements,the pressure amplitude is reduced by 40.6% under the optimal control law generated by LGP.Furthermore,the machine learning process is depicted using a proximity map of control law similarity,with the search pathway visualized by the steepest descent.All individuals go forward to the upper left corner of the map with the evolution process,terminating at the optimal individual of the fifth generation.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12571317 and 12071133).
文摘In this paper,we study a class of Linear Fractional Programming on a nonempty bounded set,called the Problem(LFP),and design a branch and bound algorithm to find the global optimal solution of the problem(LFP).First,we convert the problem(LFP)to the equivalent problem(EP2).Secondly,by applying the linear relaxation technique to the problem(EP2),the linear relaxation programming problem(LRP2Y)was obtained.Then,the overall framework of the algorithm is given,and the convergence and complexity of the algorithm are analyzed.Finally,experimental results are listed to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
基金financially supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación projects SAF2017-82736-C2-1-R to MTMFin Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and by Fundación Universidad Francisco de Vitoria to JS+2 种基金a predoctoral scholarship from Fundación Universidad Francisco de Vitoriafinancial support from a 6-month contract from Universidad Autónoma de Madrida 3-month contract from the School of Medicine of Universidad Francisco de Vitoria。
文摘Every year, around the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury(SCI). SCI is a devastating medical condition that arises from trauma or disease-induced damage to the spinal cord, disrupting the neural connections that allow communication between the brain and the rest of the body, which results in varying degrees of motor and sensory impairment. Disconnection in the spinal tracts is an irreversible condition owing to the poor capacity for spontaneous axonal regeneration in the affected neurons.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52075516,61927814,62325507,and 52122511)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2021YFF0502700)+2 种基金the Major Scientific and Technological Projects in Anhui Province(202103a05020005,202203a05020014)the Students’Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation of USTC(CY2022G09)the Hefei Municipal Natural Science Foundation(No.HZR2450)。
文摘Programmable/reprogrammable magneto-responsive composites(MRCs)are highly desirable for applications in soft robotics,morphable actuators,and biomedical devices due to their capabilities of undergoing reversible,complex,untethered,and rapid deformations.However,current MRC-based devices primarily rely on soft matrices,which revert to their original shapes and cease functioning when external magnetic fields are removed.Moreover,their magnetization programming,deformations,and functioning need to alternate between encoding and actuation platforms,limiting the adaptability and efficiency.Here,we present a reprogrammable magnetic shape-memory composite(RM-SMC)integrating a shape-memory polymer(SMP)skeleton with phase-transition magnetic microcapsules.High-intensity laser melts microcapsules for magnetic realignment under programmed fields,while low-intensity laser softens SMP for structural reconfiguration without compromising integrity.This dual-laser strategy facilitates in situ magnetization programming,shape morphing,and function execution within a single material system.Our innovative approach enables unique applications,including omnidirectional multi-degree-of-freedom actuators that can activate light switches,solar trackers that optimize energy capture,and adaptive impellers that modulate fluid pumping.By eliminating platform alternation and enabling shape/function retention post-actuation,the RM-SMC platform overcomes critical limitations in conventional MRCs,establishing a paradigm for multifunctional devices requiring persistent configuration control and field-independent operation.
基金supported by the National Natural Sci‐ence Foundation of China(Grant No.62306325)。
文摘During the use of robotics in applications such as antiterrorism or combat,a motion-constrained pursuer vehicle,such as a Dubins unmanned surface vehicle(USV),must get close enough(within a prescribed zero or positive distance)to a moving target as quickly as possible,resulting in the extended minimum-time intercept problem(EMTIP).Existing research has primarily focused on the zero-distance intercept problem,MTIP,establishing the necessary or sufficient conditions for MTIP optimality,and utilizing analytic algorithms,such as root-finding algorithms,to calculate the optimal solutions.However,these approaches depend heavily on the properties of the analytic algorithm,making them inapplicable when problem settings change,such as in the case of a positive effective range or complicated target motions outside uniform rectilinear motion.In this study,an approach employing a high-accuracy and quality-guaranteed mixed-integer piecewise-linear program(QG-PWL)is proposed for the EMTIP.This program can accommodate different effective interception ranges and complicated target motions(variable velocity or complicated trajectories).The high accuracy and quality guarantees of QG-PWL originate from elegant strategies such as piecewise linearization and other developed operation strategies.The approximate error in the intercept path length is proved to be bounded to h^(2)/(4√2),where h is the piecewise length.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62203256)。
文摘Generating dynamically feasible trajectory for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)in dense obstacle environments remains computationally intractable.This paper proposes a Safe Flight Corridor constrained Sequential Convex Programming(SFC-SCP)to improve the computation efficiency and reliability of trajectory generation.SFC-SCP combines the front-end convex polyhedron SFC construction and back-end SCP-based trajectory optimization.A Sparse A^(*)Search(SAS)driven SFC construction method is designed to efficiently generate polyhedron SFC according to the geometric relation among obstacles and collision-free waypoints.Via transforming the nonconvex obstacle-avoidance constraints to linear inequality constraints,SFC can mitigate infeasibility of trajectory planning and reduce computation complexity.Then,SCP casts the nonlinear trajectory optimization subject to SFC into convex programming subproblems to decrease the problem complexity.In addition,a convex optimizer based on interior point method is customized,where the search direction is calculated via successive elimination to further improve efficiency.Simulation experiments on dense obstacle scenarios show that SFC-SCP can generate dynamically feasible safe trajectory rapidly.Comparative studies with state-of-the-art SCP-based methods demonstrate the efficiency and reliability merits of SFC-SCP.Besides,the customized convex optimizer outperforms off-the-shelf optimizers in terms of computation time.
基金the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFE0208700)National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China(No.92163109 and 52072095)+7 种基金Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(No.RCJC20231211090000001,GXWD20231129101105001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52205590)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(No.BK20220834)the Start-up Research Fund of Southeast University(No.RF1028623098)the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems(HIT)(No.SKLRS-2024-KF-11)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52202348)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2023A1515011491)Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(Nos.GXWD20220818224716001,KJZD20231023100302006).
文摘Due to the small size,active mobility,and intrinsic softness,miniature soft robots hold promising po-tentials in reaching the deep region inside living bodies otherwise inaccessible with compelling agility,adaptability and safety.Various materials and actuation strategies have been developed for creating soft robots,among which,ferromagnetic soft materials that self-actuate in response to external magnetic fields have attracted worldwide attention due to their remote controllability and excellent compatibil-ity with biological tissues.This review presents comprehensive and systematic research advancements in the design,fabrication,and applications of ferromagnetic soft materials for miniature robots,providing in-sights into their potential use in biomedical fields and beyond.The programming strategies of ferromag-netic soft materials are summarized and classified,including mold-assisted programming,3D printing-assisted programming,microassembly-assisted programming,and magnetization reprogramming.Each approach possesses unique advantages in manipulating the magnetic responsiveness of ferromagnetic soft materials to achieve outstanding actuation and deformation performances.We then discuss the biomedi-cal applications of ferromagnetic soft material-based soft robots(e.g.,minimally invasive surgery,targeted delivery,and tissue engineering),highlighting their potentials in revolutionizing biomedical technologies.This review also points out the current challenges and provides insights into future research directions,which we hope can serve as a useful reference for the development of next-generation adaptive miniature robots.
基金supported in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2024YFB4709100,2021YFE0206100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62073321)+1 种基金the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program(JCKY2019203C029)the Science and Technology Development Fund,Macao SAR,China(0015/2020/AMJ)
文摘Learning-based methods have become mainstream for solving residential energy scheduling problems. In order to improve the learning efficiency of existing methods and increase the utilization of renewable energy, we propose the Dyna actiondependent heuristic dynamic programming(Dyna-ADHDP)method, which incorporates the ideas of learning and planning from the Dyna framework in action-dependent heuristic dynamic programming. This method defines a continuous action space for precise control of an energy storage system and allows online optimization of algorithm performance during the real-time operation of the residential energy model. Meanwhile, the target network is introduced during the training process to make the training smoother and more efficient. We conducted experimental comparisons with the benchmark method using simulated and real data to verify its applicability and performance. The results confirm the method's excellent performance and generalization capabilities, as well as its excellence in increasing renewable energy utilization and extending equipment life.
基金supported by Canada First Research Excellence Fund,Medicine by Design(to CMM)。
文摘Over the last two decades,the dogma that cell fate is immutable has been increasingly challenged,with important implications for regenerative medicine.The brea kth rough discovery that induced pluripotent stem cells could be generated from adult mouse fibroblasts is powerful proof that cell fate can be changed.An exciting extension of the discovery of cell fate impermanence is the direct cellular reprogram ming hypothesis-that terminally differentiated cells can be reprogrammed into other adult cell fates without first passing through a stem cell state.
基金supported by National Institute on Aging(NIH-NIA)R21 AG074152(to KMA)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIAID)grant DP2 AI171150(to KMA)Department of Defense(DoD)grant AZ210089(to KMA)。
文摘The brain's extracellular matrix(ECM),which is comprised of protein and glycosaminoglycan(GAG)scaffolds,constitutes 20%-40% of the human brain and is considered one of the largest influencers on brain cell functioning(Soles et al.,2023).Synthesized by neural and glial cells,the brain's ECM regulates a myriad of homeostatic cellular processes,including neuronal plasticity and firing(Miyata et al.,2012),cation buffering(Moraws ki et al.,2015),and glia-neuron interactions(Anderson et al.,2016).Considering the diversity of functions,dynamic remodeling of the brain's ECM indicates that this understudied medium is an active participant in both normal physiology and neurological diseases.
