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The integrity of cloud-based convolutional neural network (CNN) prediction services can be jeopardized by a malicious cloud server. Although zero-knowledge proof approaches can be used to verify integrity, they are difficult to use for larger CNN models like LeNet-5 and VGG16, due to the large cost (in terms of time and storage) of generating a proof. This paper proposes ValidCNN, which can efficiently generate integrity proofs based on zk-SNARK. At the heart of ValidCNN, it is a novel usage of Freivald's concepts for circuit construction, and a more efficient way for verifying matrix multiplication. Our experimental results demonstrate that ValidCNN significantly outperforms the state of the art approaches that are based on zk-SNARK. For example, compared with ZEN, ValidCNN achieves a 12-fold improvement in time and a 31-fold improvement in storage. Compared with vCNN, ValidCNN achieves a 195-fold and 279-fold improvement in time and storage respectively.

The landscape of future mobile devices is poised for an organic fusion of sensing and communication, a trend known as integrated sensing and communication. In this letter, we stand in attacker’s perspective and conceive a novel physical layer attack termed sensing-resistant jamming (SRJ), aiming at maximally disrupting the suspicious transmission while deceiving receiver’s detection of the attacker’s direction simultaneously. To evaluate the sensing-resistant performance, a metric named angular-domain peak-to-average ratio (ADPAR) is defined and further analyzed through the generalized Rayleigh quotient. Then, the SRJ design is formulated by minimizing the achievable rate under ADPAR constraints, which is converted to a convex problem and solved by the projected gradient descent (PGD) algorithm. In order to further reduce the computational complexity, we also provide a sub-optimal closed-form solution. Simulation results illustrate the feasibility of the conceived SRJ design, where the attacker’s direction can be concealed while maintaining the achievable rate to a low level.

In this contribution, a practical reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system is presented to improve the performance and spectral efficiency (SE) of state-of-the-art RIS-assisted spatial modulation systems by introducing phase offsets on the RIS and transmitter. As opposed to conventional RIS-assisted spatial modulation schemes, the proposed RIS-assisted generalized spatial modulation with phase offset (RIS-GSM-P) scheme activates an arbitrary number of transmit antennas to form a wider variety of transmit antenna combinations (TAC) for improving SE. Depending on whether the direct path is available or not, two phase offset schemes are conceived to enhance the beamforming of the RIS and to widen the channel difference between TACs. Finally, a unified framework for the theoretical bit error rate upper bound of the proposed RIS-GSM-P scheme is presented, which is also compatible with several conventional RIS-assisted transmission schemes. Furthermore, a low-complexity detector is provided to reduce the detection complexity. Monte Carlo simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes and to validate our theoretical analysis.

Artificial noise elimination (ANE) has arisen as a promising strategy to counteract artificial noise (AN) at the eavesdropper (Eve). However, conventional ANE schemes rely on the attainable channel state information (CSI) between the transmitter (Alice) and legitimate receiver (Bob), which may reduce the feasibility of ANE. To break the gridlock, we focus on the ANE without the Alice-Bob link CSI by minimizing the artificial-noise-to-signal ratio (ANSR). Specifically, the detailed minor component analysis (MCA)-based ANE scheme is proposed to eliminate the AN for a specific classification. Moreover, the principal component analysis (PCA)-based ANE scheme is proposed for the case of binary phase shift keying (BPSK). Furthermore, the k-nearest neighbor (kNN)-based ANE scheme is proposed to exploit the additional information from the unclassified samples. To evaluate the cost of computing, the computational complexity of the aforementioned ANE schemes is analyzed. Meanwhile, the minimum required numbers of observed vectors for the MCA and PCA are derived. Finally, our numerical simulations show that proposed ANE schemes outperform the conventional hyperplane clustering (HC) scheme and can achieve the ANSR of ${\mathbf {1}}{{\mathbf {0}}^{{\mathbf { - 4}}}}$ at the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 25 dB.

Recently, near-field communications (NFCs) have drawn great attention for the near-field region expansion in the context of extremely large-scale (XL) antenna arrays, tremendously high frequencies, and new types of antennas trends. Considering the distinctive spherical wave propagation model in NFC, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, such as channel modelling and estimation as well as hybrid beamforming technologies, have recently undergone reevaluation and redesign. Concurrently, as the NFC range continues to broaden, ensuring physical layer security (PLS) has emerged as an equally urgent concern, necessitating immediate attention and resolution. Therefore, in this contribution, we propose a single-user (SU) multiple-input single-output (MISO) near-field directional modulation (NFDM) system toward secure transmissions at both angular and distance scales. Furthermore, considering the hardware cost associated with XL arrays, a fully analog secure precoding algorithm integrated beamforming with artificial noise (AN) as well as power allocation is devised under the modulus-1 constraint of the phase shifters. Finally, simulation results indicate that the proposed NFDM scheme is capable of guaranteeing security at both angular and distance scales compared with its conventional far-field counterpart.

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology has been extensively investigated for achieving spatial multiplexing and diversity gains. However, the introduction of multiple radio-frequency (RF) chains at the MIMO transmitter becomes a bottleneck due to high implementation cost. To address this challenge, we propose a novel phase-shifter-aided spatial multiplexing (PSSM) scheme, which utilizes phase shifters for multi-stream transmissions with reduced RF chains. Furthermore, the multiplexing-diversity tradeoff is studied through theoretical analysis for such system to illustrate its advantage, meanwhile the performance bound in terms of bit-error rate (BER) is quantified. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed PSSM scheme over its conventional counterparts in terms of BER, especially under high transmission rate requirements.

This letter proposes an iterative channel estimation algorithm based on orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) for orthogonal chirp division multiplexing (OCDM) systems, where the pilot and data are superimposed on each chirp. Therefore, such a system can achieve higher spectral efficiency (SE) compared to most of the existing algorithms. Meanwhile, a pilot pattern is designed in the frequency domain to ensure the estimation accuracy while reducing the power occupied by pilot. Furthermore, the influence of data symbols on channel estimation is decreased through iterations. Simulation results demonstrate the fast convergence of the proposed iterative algorithm as well as better bit error rate (BER) performance in high-speed communication scenarios compared to related algorithms.

Perovskite solar cells with an inverted architecture provide a key pathway for commercializing this emerging photovoltaic technology because of the better power conversion efficiency and operational stability compared with the normal device structure. Specifically, power conversion efficiencies of the inverted perovskite solar cells have exceeded 25% owing to the development of improved self-assembled molecules1–5and passivation strategies6–8. However, poor wettability and agglomeration of self-assembled molecules9–12cause interfacial losses, impeding further improvement in the power conversion efficiency and stability. Here we report a molecular hybrid at the buried interface in inverted perovskite solar cells that co-assembled the popular self-assembled molecule [4-(3,6-dimethyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl]phosphonic acid (Me-4PACz) with the multiple aromatic carboxylic acid 4,4′,4″-nitrilotribenzoic acid (NA) to improve the heterojunction interface. The molecular hybrid of Me-4PACz with NA could substantially improve the interfacial characteristics. The resulting inverted perovskite solar cells demonstrated a record certified steady-state efficiency of 26.54%. Crucially, this strategy aligns seamlessly with large-scale manufacturing, achieving one of the highest certified power conversion efficiencies for inverted mini-modules at 22.74% (aperture area 11.1 cm2). Our device also maintained 96.1% of its initial power conversion efficiency after more than 2,400 h of 1-sun operation in ambient air.

In the analysis of big data, deep learning is a crucial technique. Big data analysis tasks are typically carried out on the cloud since it offers strong computer capabilities and storage areas. Nevertheless, there is a contradiction between the open nature of the cloud and the demand that data owners maintain their privacy. To use cloud resources for privacy-preserving data training, a viable method must be found. A privacy-preserving deep learning model (PPDLM) is suggested in this research to address this preserving issue. To preserve data privacy, we first encrypted the data using homomorphic encryption (HE) approach. Moreover, the deep learning algorithm's activation function—the sigmoid function—uses the least-squares method to process nonaddition and non-multiplication operations that are not allowed by homomorphic. Finally, experimental results show that PPDLM has a significant effect on the protection of data privacy information. Compared with Non-Privacy Preserving Deep Learning Model (NPPDLM), PPDLM has higher computational efficiency.

Future wireless networks will witness ubiquitous human-machine interactions, where extended reality (XR) is expected to be a key scenario in next-generation mobile systems. In this article, we examine the integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) framework in XR, where a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) may assist user (UE) positioning and communication. Specifically, a practical positioning algorithm based on multiple signal classification (MUSIC) with the aid of specially designed RIS configurations is conceived. Furthermore, we formulate the joint optimization of the UE beamformer and RIS phase shifter to maximize the channel capacity under Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB) constraints, which is solved by alternating optimization with gradient projection and manifold optimization. Finally, we use simulation results to demonstrate the feasibility of the conceived positioning algorithm and corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed optimization approach.

Background and Objectives Both primary and secondary cancers require the involvement of glycolytic pathways. Cancer cell proliferation leads to the upregulation of glycolysis, which results in increased glucose consumption. For demonstrating that umbelliferone can effectively bind to several proteins involved in the glycolytic pathway, thereby inhibiting glycolysis and reducing cancer cell proliferation.Materials and Methods This study uses transcriptomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to predict the potential targets and possible pathways of umbelliferone against cancer and microscale thermophoresis (MST) to detect the affinity between umbelliferone and potential targets.Results Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were primarily associated with glycolytic and other metabolic pathways and proteins. According to network pharmacology and molecular docking results, glycolysis-related proteins such as glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial (GPD2), phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2), and heat shock protein HSP-90 alpha (Hsp90AA1) are potential targets of umbelliferone against tumors. MST confirmed that umbelliferous lactone binds strongly to GPI, GPD2, and PGK2 but not to Hsp90AA1.Conclusion By binding to the glycolysis-related proteins such as GPI, GPD2, and PGK2, umbelliferone acts as an anti-tumor agent by inhibiting glycolysis, cutting off the energy supply to tumor tissue, and reducing tumor growth. It was suggested that umbelliferone might be a brand-new tumor glycolysis inhibitor and that these glycolysis-related proteins might be potential new targets for cancer therapy. This finding helped to establish a solid foundation for the anti-cancer action of umbelliferone.

Separation of trivalent actinides (An(III)) and lanthanides (Ln(III)) poses a huge challenge in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel due to their similar chemical properties. N,N′-Diethyl-N,N′-ditolyl-2,9-diamide-1,10-phenanthroline (Et-Tol-DAPhen) is a potential ligand for the extraction of An(III) from Ln(III), while there are still few reports on the effect of its substituent including electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups on An(III)/Ln(III) separation. Herein, the interaction of Et-Tol-DAPhen ligands modified by the electron-withdrawing groups (CF3, Br) and electron-donating groups (OH) with Am(III)/Eu(III) ions was investigated using scalar relativistic density functional theory (DFT). The analyses of bond order, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), and molecular orbital (MO) indicate that the substitution groups have a slight effect on the electronic structures of the [M(L-X)(NO3)3] (X = CF3, Br, OH) complexes. However, the thermodynamic results suggest that a ligand with the electron-donating group (L-OH) improves the extraction ability of metal ions, and the ligand modified by the electron-withdrawing group (L-Br) has the best Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity. This work could render new insights into understanding the effect of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups in tuning the selectivity of Et-Tol-DAPhen derivatives and pave the way for designing new ligands modified by substituted groups with better extraction ability and An(III)/Ln(III) selectivity.

This letter discusses the issue of joint angle-of-arrival (AoA) and angle-of-departure (AoD) estimation for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) arrays, so as to conceive a novel one-snapshot multiple signal classification (MUSIC)-derived algorithm based on channel reconstruction therein. Compared to conventional two-dimensional MUSIC (2D-MUSIC), not only does the proposed algorithm avoid the problem of matrix rank deficit, but it also brings a prominent complexity reduction yet achieving satisfactory accuracy. Simulation results verify the utility and advancement of our algorithm, especially in the scheme with high real-time requirements.

Recently, communications with the aid of reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), which operates with the aim of enhancing the system communication performance, have aroused extensive researches. Furthermore, the use of RIS for positioning has been considered. Therefore, we focus on a practical structure of indoor positioning assisted by distributed RISs through utilizing their ability to manipulate multipath signals, through the developed quasi-static and dynamic modes. Specifically, in the quasi-static mode, for reducing the implementation cost, the reflection coefficients for each RIS are preset and remain constant. In the dynamic mode, the reflection coefficients can be timely updated with a two-step positioning approach toward more accurate positioning performance. Furthermore, the Cramér-Rao lower bound of the developed positioning scheme is quantified through theoretical analysis. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that RIS has the potential to realize accurate positioning even with a single access point, due to its ability to mark the channel and replace traditional active positioning anchors. Meanwhile, we also show that the developed two-step positioning scheme can achieve considerable performance gain in accurate positioning.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu7) is a G protein coupled receptor that has demonstrated promise as a therapeutic target across a number of neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Compounds that modulate the activity of mGlu7, such as positive and negative allosteric modulators, may represent new therapeutic strategies to modulate receptor activity. The endogenous neurotransmitter associated with the mGlu receptor family, glutamate, exhibits low efficacy and potency in activating mGlu7, and surrogate agonists, such as the compound L-(+)-2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4), are often used for receptor activation and compound profiling. To understand the implications of the use of such agonists in the development of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), we performed a systematic evaluation of receptor activation using a system in which mutations can be made in either protomer of the mGlu7dimer; we employed mutations that prevent interaction with the orthosteric site as well as the G-protein coupling site of the receptor. We then measured increases in calcium levels downstream of a promiscuous G protein to assess the effects of mutations in one of the two protomers in the presence of two different agonists and three positive allosteric modulators. Our results reveal that distinct PAMs, for exampleN-[3-Chloro-4-[(5-chloro-2-pyridinyl)oxy]phenyl]-2-pyridinecarboxamide (VU0422288) and 3-(2,3-Difluoro-4-methoxyphenyl)-2,5-dimethyl-7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (VU6005649), do exhibit different maximal levels of potentiation with L-AP4 versus glutamate, but there appear to be common stable receptor conformations that are shared among all of the compounds examined here.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThis manuscript describes the systematic evaluation of the mGlu7agonists glutamate and L-(+)-2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4) in the presence and absence of three distinct potentiators examining possible mechanistic differences. These findings demonstrate that mGlu7potentiators display subtle variances in response to glutamate versus L-AP4.

In this contribution, we investigate reconfigurable intelligent surface assisted space-time line code (RIS-STLC) transmission for enhancing the signal quality when the direct link between the transmitter and receiver is blocked. In the context of intelligent transmission by RIS, the concept of index modulation (IM) is integrated into the pursuit of higher spectral efficiency, while a two-step detection is developed to improve the performance. Correspondingly, for blind transmission where the channel information at RIS is not available, the phase at RIS not associated with the channel is considered. Subsequently, the bit-error-rate (BER) performances of the proposed RIS-STLC system conditioned on both the intelligent and blind transmission are quantified. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the development of RIS-STLC.

In order to promote the interaction among interconnected microgrids (MGs) with multiply distributed energy resources (DERs) to local energy utilization, a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) power trading mechanism based on priority matching is proposed. The priority indices are calculated based on scheduling results and quotations by an independent MG operator (IMO), which protect effectively the privacy and represent the bargaining willingness of MGs. According to the supply–demand ratio within a matching pair, each MG is permitted to update its quotation multi-times until the convergence or updated number limitation is reached. The clearing price of each pair is calculated by the mid-market rate (MMR) method. Because the imbalanced power is different with the autonomous scheduling in a MG at different dispatching time, the different power requirements of MGs results in the formation of the dynamic MG groups. The simulation results in an interconnected multi-microgrid system (IMMGS) with 4 MGs show the proposed decentralized P2P mechanism is reasonable and effective.

For the sake of improving the physical-layer security, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has been suggested to assist artificial noise (AN) to bridge both their advantages in multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems. Specifically, for achieving the trade-off between the reliability and security of transmission, the phase shifts (PSs) and beamforming are jointly designed based on the oblique manifold (OM) algorithm (Wang et al., 2020) without eavesdropper’s channel state information (CSI). In order to alleviate the computational complexity, a novel alternating direction (AD) algorithm is proposed in this contribution. Specifically, the initial problem is transformed into several subproblems, each of which determines a specific RIS unit via a closed-form solution when the other configurations are fixed. Furthermore, the AD algorithm is investigated to exhibit the low-complexity advantage in contrast to OM. Simulation results illustrate that AD can converge faster and more stably compared to OM with the same performance.

Offset spatial modulation (OSM) is an attractive multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) transmission scheme, which alleviates the switching frequency limitation of the radio frequency chain in the spatial modulation technology. In this article, we investigate the bit error performance of OSM in the presence of imperfect channel estimation toward a practical transmission scenario. More specifically, with the aid of union bound technique, a general performance analysis framework of the OSM system with channel estimation errors is proposed. Based on the above analysis framework, the upper bounds of bit error rate for the static and dynamic modes of OSM are both derived, respectively. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that the analytical bounds are tight for a wide range of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and variable system configurations.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted communications have been considered as a solution of aerial networking in future wireless networks due to its low-cost, high-mobility, and swift features. This paper considers a UAV-assisted downlink transmission, where UAVs are deployed as aerial base stations to serve ground users. To maximize the average transmission rate among the ground users, this paper formulates a joint optimization problem of UAV trajectory design and channel selection, which is NP-hard and non-convex. To solve the problem, we propose a multi-agent deep Q-network (MADQN) scheme. Specifically, the agents that the UAVs act as perform actions from their observations distributively and share the same reward. To tackle the tasks where the experience is insufficient, we propose a multi-agent meta reinforcement learning algorithm to fast adapt to the new tasks. By pretraining the tasks with similar distribution, the learning model can acquire general knowledge. Simulation results have indicated the MADQN scheme can achieve higher throughput than fixed allocation. Furthermore, our proposed multiagent meta reinforcement learning algorithm learns the new tasks much faster compared with the MADQN scheme.

Objectives:This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of local lauromacrogol injection in the treatment of hypopharyngeal hemangioma. Methods:From Aug 2015 to May 2021, 13 consecutive patients suffering from hypopharyngeal hemangioma underwent local lauromacrogol injection assisted by endoscope in this prospective clinical series. All patients were followed up regularly and the therapeutic effects and complications were observed. Results:A total 13 of patients were enrolled, including 11 men and 2 women, with an average age of 48.5 years (range 25–76 years). The sizes of the hemangioma ranged from 0.5 × 1.0 cm to 3.5 × 3.5 cm. After 1 to 40 months of follow-up, 12 patients were cured and 1 was significantly effective after 1 to 4 (mean 1.8) injections. All patients suffered varying degrees of postoperative pain or foreign body sensation. 3 patients were significantly affected by local swelling of the injection site, 2 of which underwent prophylactic tracheostomy postoperatively and 1 patient returned to the ward with endotracheal intubation postoperatively. No complications such as mucosal ulceration, fever, and allergies occurred. Conclusions:Lauromacrogol injection is a safe and effective method to treat hypopharyngeal hemangioma.

Objectives:The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts and mechanisms of Picroside II on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and Methods:The GeneCards database was mined for HCC-related targets. The targets of Picroside Ⅱ were predicted using PharmMapper and SwissTarget Prediction. The molecular complex detection (MCODE) plugin in Cytoscape was used to screen core genes. The DAVID database was subsequently used to enrich the core targets by Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), which was used to determine the possible mode of action of Picroside II on HCC. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) examined core targets and patient mortality. Auto Dock 4.2.6 was used to simulate the docking of potential targets with Picroside II. Then, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to validate the targets’ docking ability. Finally, Western blotting and in vitroexperiments were used to evaluate the effect of Picroside II on HepG2 cells.Results:The result of network pharmacology showed that 94 genes may be possible targets for Picroside II treating of HCC, with GPI, LGALS3, SRC, HRAS, HSP90AA1, MMP9, PPARG, SERPINE1, and VEGFA being the most promising. GPI and Picroside II have strong virtual docking capabilities, and SPR tests verified their binding ability. In vitrostudies revealed that Picroside II could suppress HepG2 cell migration. It has been demonstrated that Picroside II can stop tumors from migrating by attaching to the glycolytic proteins GPI and suppressing the downstream glycolytic pathway proteins ALDOA and GAPDH. Picroside II’s potential new target for treating tumors is GPI.Conclusion:The results of this study suggest that Picroside Ⅱ can affect glucose metabolism by binding to glycolytic protein GPI and that this protein is a potential new target for Picroside Ⅱ in the treatment of tumors.

Among various polymeric gene delivery systems, peptide-based vectors demonstrate great potential owing to their unique structure and properties, including flexibility; however, there is insufficient molecular understanding of the role and properties of amino acids as building blocks in gene delivery. In this work, we constructed a series of histidine (H)-containing peptide-grafted dextran (D-RxHy) vectors viaa simple two-step reaction of dextran with five RxHyC peptides: R7H3C, R5H3C, R5H5C, R3H5C, and R3H7C. The gel electrophoresis study unveiled the DNA-binding ability of H residues. While all D-RxHy vectors possess similarly low cytotoxicity, D-R3H7 exhibited the highest gene transfection efficiency. Interestingly, at the low nitrogen to phosphate (N/P) ratio of 2, D-R3H7 displayed a 6–8-fold higher luciferase expression compared to the gold standard branched PEI (25k). D-R3H7 and D-R5H5 demonstrated favorable cell uptake rates. A chloroquine-treated transfection assay confirmed the key effect of the high buffering capacity of H-rich D-R3H7 on its high gene transfection efficiency, especially at low N/P ratios. The present work unveiled that histidine is critical for both DNA condensation and the accurate control of endosomal escape. The tunable D-RxHy platform not only demonstrates promising potential for therapeutic purposes but can also be used as a tool to elucidate the molecular mechanism of polymer-based transfection.

Exercise is known to confer major health benefits, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The systemic effects of exercise on multi-organ systems are thought to be partly because of myokines/cytokines secreted by skeletal muscle. The extent to which exercise alters cytokine expression and secretion in different muscle fiber types has not been systematically examined. Here, we assessed changes in 66 mouse cytokines in serum, and in glycolytic (plantaris) and oxidative (soleus) muscles, in response to sprint, endurance, or chronic wheel running. Both acute and short-term exercise significantly altered a large fraction of cytokines in both serum and muscle, twenty-three of which are considered novel exercise-regulated myokines. Most of the secreted cytokine receptors profiled were also altered by physical activity, suggesting an exercise-regulated mechanism that modulates the generation of soluble receptors found in circulation. A greater overlap in cytokine profile was seen between endurance and chronic wheel running. Between fiber types, both acute and chronic exercise induced significantly more cytokine changes in oxidative compared with glycolytic muscle. Further, changes in a subset of circulating cytokines were not matched by their changes in muscle, but instead reflected altered expression in liver and adipose tissues. Last, exercise-induced changes in cytokine mRNA and protein were only minimally correlated in soleus and plantaris. In sum, our results indicate that exercise regulates many cytokines whose pleiotropic actions may be linked to positive health outcomes. These data provide a framework to further understand potential crosstalk between skeletal muscle and other organ compartments.

Over doubly selective channel, the optimal complex exponentials BEM (CE-BEM) is required to characterize the transmission in transform domain in order to reducing the huge number of the estimated parameters during directly estimating the impulse response in time domain. This paper proposed an improved CE-BEM to alleviating the high frequency sampling error caused by conventional CE-BEM. On the one hand, exploiting the improved CE-BEM, we achieve the sampling point is in the Doppler spread spectrum and the maximum sampling frequency is equal to the maximum Doppler shift. On the other hand we optimize the function and dimension of basis in CE-BEM respectively ,and obtain the closed solution of the EM based channel estimation differential operator by exploiting the above optimal BEM. Finally, the numerical results and theoretic analysis show that the dimension of basis is mainly depend on the maximum Doppler shift and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and if fixing the number of the pilot symbol, the dimension of basis is higher, the modeling error is smaller, while the accuracy of the parameter estimation is reduced, which implies that we need to achieve a tradeoff between the modeling error and the accuracy of the parameter estimation and the basis function influences the accuracy of describing the Doppler spread spectrum after identifying the dimension of the basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-continuous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (NC-OFDM) is an outstanding method to suppress sidelobe for baseband OFDM signals in future 5G wireless communications. However, the precoder of NC-OFDM usually causes severe interference and high complexity. To alleviate these problems, this paper proposes an improved time-domain N-continuous OFDM (TD-NC-OFDM) by optimizing the smooth signal, which is the linear combination of rectangularly pulsed OFDM basis signals truncated by a smooth window. Furthermore, we show that the proposed scheme is with lower transceiver complexity and notable performance gain in signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Lastly, simulation results show that the proposed low-interference TD-NC-OFDM can achieve similar sidelobe suppression performance, with negligible bit-error rate (BER) degradation, compared to conventional NC-OFDM.

To determine the effects of Bushenhuoxue formula (BHF) on interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) levels in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA).

For the lack of concrete strength, the outer wall of a cement fresh material silo cracking. Then the cracking structure members have been strengthened with externally bonded steel plates. The finite analysis software ABAQUS has been used to simulate the reinforced silo and the structural analysis software MORGAIN has been used to calculate the reinforcements in this paper. The simulation results show that, the bearing capacity of the silo has been improved with this strengthening method effectively. On the other hand it could be referenced to solve the problems of similar projects.

Accompanying the development of the social economy, air conditioning systems have been extensively used in the scientific research, production, commerce and daily life. At the same time, the energy consumption of the air conditioning system continuously increases, and the costing of the air conditioning system users rises. The air conditioning systems have become the primary producers of the environment pollution. According to the using process and result analysis of the air conditioning system equipments, this thesis explores the effect of energy conservation and emission reduction. The main purpose of the thesis applies the ideas of energy conservation and emission reduction into the using process of the air conditioning system equipments.

The solubility and saturated loading of CO2 in piperazine (PZ) promoted 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) aqueous solution were measured at normal pressure with temperatures ranging from 293.15K to 323.15K. The temperature and the mass fraction dependences of the solubility and saturated loading of CO2 were determined. The influence of the mass fraction of PZ on the absorption rate of CO2 was illustrated.

Cooperative communication can enhance the performance of wireless networks via relays, and so how to allocate the relay to obtain the optimal performance of system is a key issue. In this article, we consider a cooperative system where two users communicate with the destination via relays, and these relays connect with the destination by cable. Through the theoretical derivation and analysis, we obtain the optimal relay allocation strategy based on the maximum rate under the condition of relays setting forwarding thresholds. The result shows that the system has the maximum transmission rate when the relays are allocated equivalently between users. Moreover, compared with the single-user system, the results prove that diversity gain has a decisive effect on the performance in low SNR. However, with the SNR increasing, the impact of diversity gain on system rate will be reduced. In high SNR, spatial freedom degree of the channel of multiple users is brought to enhance the performance instead of diversity gain. Numerical results demonstrate the validity of the allocation strategy and conclusion arrived in this study, but we do not find the similar arguments in the literature so far, for comparison with the conclusion of this study.

Time-sliced velocity imaging experiments have been performed for the low-energy electron dissociative attachment to CFCI3 in the gas phase. The time-sliced velocity images of the F- anionic fragment, recorded at different electron attachment energies (2.0-7.0 eV), indicate image pattern evolutions. The angular and kinetic energy distributions of the F- fragment are interpreted with two shape-resonant states of CFC13~ and thermochemistry calculations for dissociation thresholds. The dramatic reduction of the F- kinetic energy observed at higher attachment energies is possibly due to two-body dissociation with an electronically excited state of CCI3 (2A") or three-body dissociations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial lipase (EL) is a major negative regulator of plasma HDL levels in mice, rabbits, and most probably, humans. Although this regulatory function is critically dependent on EL's hydrolysis of HDL phospholipids, as yet there is no phospholipase assay specific for EL in plasma. We developed such an assay for the mouse enzyme using a commercially available phospholipid-like fluorescent substrate in combination with an EL neutralizing antibody. The specificity of the assay was established using EL knockout mice and its utility demonstrated by detection of an increase in plasma EL phospholipase activity following exposure of wild-type mice to lipopolysaccharide. The assay revealed that murine pre-heparin plasma does not contain measurable EL activity, indicating that the hydrolysis of HDL phospholipids by EL in vivo likely occurs on the cell surface.

Traditional antenna calibration methods for time division duplex (TDD) systems assume that the free-space channel remains the same during calibration, which is unreasonable under the high-speed rail and other time-varying channel scenarios, and will cause calibration error due to time variability. This paper proposes an antenna calibration method for time-varying channels. In the proposed method, the transceiver first sequentially sends a pilot signal to obtain equivalent downlink and uplink channel responses. Then, by predicting the downlink (uplink) channel response fed back from the receiver using the channel prediction algorithm, the transmitter obtains the channel response corresponding to the channel response on uplink (downlink). Finally, the transmitter calculates the transmission calibration factor through the prediction value. Compared with the traditional antenna calibration method, this method can improve the accuracy of the calibration factor. Simulation results show that the performance degradation of antenna calibration can be caused by time-varying channels and the proposed method can well compensate for the performance loss and significantly improve the antenna calibration performance for time-varying channels.

A signal detection algorithm is proposed for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system in the presence of fast time-varying channel. The channel is represented by a piece-wise linear variant model with normalized Doppler frequency of less than 0.2. The channel parameters are extracted through ISI/ICI (inter-symbol interference/inter-carrier interference) cancellation and circular convolution reconstruction. Meanwhile, an improved OFDM symbol detection algorithm is also proposed based on circular convolution reconstruction. The channel state information in the OFDM symbol duration can be obtained accurately from the adjacent two block pilots in a linear model. The simulation results show that the proposed method can not only track the channel variation, but also promise better performance gain in the OFDM symbol detection. Furthermore, the bit error ratio (BER) is close to the performance with the perfect channel state information.

Stereodynamics of dissociative electron attachment to CO2 is investigated using O- anion velocity imaging experiments. Here 2&Pgr;g as a Feshbach resonant state of C02- is confirmed to play a role in the dissociation CO2- → CO(1&Sgr;+) + 0-(2P) around 8.0 eV. At the lower energy, 7.7 eV, two split states of 2Ilg due to the Renner-Teller effect are found to couple with the dissociation path; while above this energy, at 8.2 and 8.7 eV, the coupling between the dissociation and the C-O bond stretching becomes predominant. The evolutions of the potential energy surface around this Feshbach resonant state result in the dramatically different angular distributions of the O- momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water soluble branched polyacrylamide has been synthesized through solution polymerization. The polymerization was initiated by potassium diperiodatocuprate, K5[Cu(HIO6)2](Cu(III)), in alkaline medium and capable of initiating the self condensation vinyl polymerization of acrylamide monomer. The polymer obtained was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Its flocculation properties were evaluated with clay suspensions using standard jar tests. The concentration of monomers, concentration of initiators, reaction temperature and solution pH on the influence of intrinsic viscosity and flocculation properties of production were studied. The results demonstrate that the branched polymer can be used as a kind of novel flocculant in water and wastewater treatment.

Phosphorescent white organic light-emitting devices (PhWOLEDs) with a double emitting layer (EML) structure were fabricated. The EMLs were doped with blue and yellow phosphors of iridium(III) bis[4,6-(difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C2$'$] picolinate and [2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzo thiazolato-N,C2$'$] iridium (acetylacetonate). Comparing the performance of PhWOLEDs with the host of yellow EML varying from p- to n-type materials, the results showed that the PhWOLED fabricated with 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) as the yellow host had the highest performance, exhibiting a peak current efficiency of 31.7 cd/A, a peak power efficiency of 17.1 lm/W, and the Commission Internationale del'Eclairage coordinates of $(0.33, 0.41)$ at a bias of 9 V. The enhancement was attributed to the improved charge carrier balance, broadened recombination region, and adequate energy levels between the BPhen host and the dopants, which made distinct roles for the dopants to effectively harvest the charge carriers.

A cationic polymeric flocculant was synthesized through solution polymerization. The polymerization was initiated by acrylamide and Aacryloxyethyltrimethyl Ammonium Chloride(DAC) monomers, and ammonium persulfate and sodium sulfite as redox initiation system. The copolymer obtained was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Its flocculating properties were evaluated by turbidity removal with clay suspensions, turbidity and COD removal with sewage using standard jar tests. The results demonstrate that the copolymer can be used as a kind of cationic polymeric flocculant in water and wastewater treatment.

The dried roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Heshouwu) and their processed products (Zhiheshouwu) are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, yet their therapeutic effects are different. Previous investigations focused mainly on the differences between Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu in the contents of several known compounds. In this study, a rapid resolution liquid chromatography-diode array detection/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC/DAD/ESI-MSn) method was developed for the comparative analysis of the components of Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu. A total of 23 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized. We found that 16 batches of Heshouwu and 15 batches of Zhi-heshouwu samples shared eight compounds, including gallic acid; 3,5,4'-tetrahydroxylstilbene- 2,3-di-O-glucoside, cis-2,3,5,4'- tetrahydroxylstilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside, trans- 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxylstilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside, physcion-8-O- β-D-glucoside, emodin, and physcion. Nevertheless, the relative amounts of gallic acid, emodin, and physcion were very high in Zhi-heshouwu samples compared to those in Heshouwu samples. Six compounds disappeared after processing and were unique for Heshouwu: catechin, flavanol gallate dimer, polygonimitin B, emodin-1- O-glucoside, emodin-8-O-(6'-O-malonyl)-glucoside, and physcion-8-O-(6'-O-malonyl)-glucoside. Three compounds were unique for Zhiheshouwu: hydroxymaltol, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy- 6-methyl-4(H)-pyran-4-one, and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural. These results suggest that the types and relative amounts of the chemical components of Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General multi-objective optimization methods are hard to obtain prior information, how to utilize prior information has been a challenge. This paper analyzes the characteristics of Bayesian decision-making based on maximum entropy principle and prior information, especially in case that how to effectively improve decision-making reliability in deficiency of reference samples. The paper exhibits effectiveness of the proposed method using the real application of multi-frequency offset estimation in distributed multiple-input multiple-output system. The simulation results demonstrate Bayesian decision-making based on prior information has better global searching capability when sampling data is deficient.

Multi-objective optimization focuses on simultaneous optimization of multiple targets. Evolutionary game theory transforms the optimization problem into game strategic problem and using adaptable dynamic game evolution process intelligently obtains the optimized strategy. The problem of multiple frequency offsets estimation in distributed multiple inputs and multiple outputs system is real-world multi-objective search and optimization problems which are naturally posed as non-linear programming problems having multiple objectives. Simulation results evidence the proposed algorithm is superior to other algorithms with more robust convergence and environmental applicability.

Doxorubicin and galactose were chemically conjugated to dextran by the carboxypropyl spacers and the conjugate was formulated into nanoparticle with free doxorubicin. The content of doxorubicin was as high as 17.2 in the nanoscale drug delivery systems (nano-DDSs) and the nanoparticle size was less than 190 nm. In an in vitro cytotoxicity experiment, the nano-DDSs had higher cytotoxicity than free DOX against the drug resistant HepG2 cells. In a human tumor xenograft nude mouse model, the nano-DDSs generated higher therapeutic effect than free doxorubicin. These promising data show a better anti-tumor efficacy on drug resistant HepG2 cells of nano-DDSs versus free doxorubicin, and warrant further studies in both animals and humans.

Reversing the amino acid sequence of a dipeptide produces distinct differences in how they partition between a polyethylene glycol/potassium phosphate aqueous two-phase system. The partition coefficients for twenty-three dipeptides in this biphasic system are recorded.

The performance of the eccentric coil planet centrifuges for separating proteins has been tested using polyethylene glycol (PEG)/potassium phosphate/water two-phase systems. The dependency of the separation efficiency on the flow rate of mobile phase and the rotational speed of centrifuge has been studied in the present investigation. The-resolution of peaks is decreased with the increase of flow rate of mobile phase and is increased up to a maximum with rhe increase of rotational speed. The results of this study demonstrate that the eccentric coil planet centrifuge is useful for separation of proteins with aqueous two-phase systems.