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Background: Efforts to profile atopic dermatitis (AD) tissues have intensified, yet comprehensive analysis of systemic immune landscapes in severe AD remains crucial. Methods: Employing single‐cell RNA sequencing, we analyzed over 300,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 severe AD patients (Eczema area and severity index (EASI) > 21) and six healthy controls. Results: Results revealed significant immune cell shifts in AD patients, including increased Th2 cell abundance, reduced NK cell clusters with compromised cytotoxicity, and correlated Type 2 innate lymphoid cell proportions with disease severity. Moreover, unique monocyte clusters reflecting activated innate immunity emerged in very severe AD (EASI > 30). While overall dendritic cells (DCs) counts decreased, a distinct Th2‐priming subset termed "Th2_DC" correlated strongly with disease severity, validated across skin tissue data, and flow cytometry with additional independent severe AD samples. Beyond the recognized role of Th2 adaptive immunity, our findings highlight significant innate immune cell alterations in severe AD, implicating their roles in disease pathogenesis and therapeutic potentials. Conclusion: Apart from the widely recognized role of Th2 adaptive immunity in AD pathogenesis, alterations in innate immune cells and impaired cytotoxic cells have also been observed in severe AD. The impact of these alterations on disease pathogenesis and the effectiveness of potential therapeutic targets requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metasurface is a promising technology that can help next-generation wireless communication systems not only improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but also increase security and mitigate interference. Further, introducing dual polarization (DP) in a metasurface can enhance its capabilities with polarization diversity, polarization multiplexing, and polarization-switched modulation. In this paper, we study a DP-metasurface-assisted single-user wireless communication system and propose a novel scheme that can improve the spectral efficiency (SE) and bit-error-rate (BER) performance compared to those of conventional schemes by exploiting the orthogonal property of dual-polarized waves. We employ the DP metasurface to increase the SNR at the receiver and create a specific phase difference between the polarized signals by controlling the transmit precoder and the phases of the metasurface reflecting elements representing some modulated bits. At the receiver, we use the recovered phase information to realign the modulated symbols in both polarizations, which are then added coherently. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves significantly higher SE and BER performance than those of some closely related works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose a joint hybrid-precoding algorithm for multiuser multiple-input single-output downlink systems. Specifically, we consider that the base station employs an energy-efficient hybrid-precoding subconnected (SC) architecture with fixed equal subarrays (FESA) (SC-FESA). Optimizing the analog precoding matrix in an SC-FESA architecture is challenging due to its unique constraint structure. In this study, to maximize system sum rate, we propose an efficient method to transform the system's sum-rate optimization problem into a continuous and differentiable objective function wherein only the nonzero elements of the analog precoding matrix are optimized. For the formulated problem, we develop an alternating optimization (AO) approach to jointly optimize the digital and analog precoders in succession by maximizing the system's sum rate. Specifically, in the proposed AO method, when the digital precoder is fixed, we employ the Riemannian conjugate gradient algorithm to generate the analog precoder. Furthermore, when the analog precoder is fixed, we use the minimum mean squared error method to obtain the digital precoder. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed AO algorithm improves the sum rate and energy efficiency of the SC-FESA architecture compared to existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate hybrid analog–digital beamforming (HBF) architectures for uplink cell-free (CF) millimeter-wave (mmWave) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. We first propose two HBF schemes, namely, decentralized HBF (D-HBF) and semi-centralized HBF (SC-HBF). In the former, both the digital and analog beamformers are generated independently at each AP based on the local channel state information (CSI). In contrast, in the latter, only the digital beamformer is obtained locally at the access point (AP), whereas the analog beamforming matrix is generated at the central processing unit (CPU) based on the global CSI received from all APs. We show that the analog beamformers generated in these two HBF schemes provide approximately the same achievable rates despite the lower complexity of D-HBF and its lack of CSI requirement. Furthermore, to reduce the power consumption, we propose a novel adaptive radio frequency (RF) chain-activation (ARFA) scheme, which dynamically activates/deactivates RF chains and their connected analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and phase shifters (PSs) at the APs based on the CSI. For the activation of RF chains, low-complexity algorithms are proposed, which can achieve significant improvement in energy efficiency (EE) with only a marginal loss in the total achievable rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we apply deep learning to estimate the direction-of-arrival (DoA) of multiple narrowband signals with a uniform linear array in a coherent environment. First, the logarithmic eigenvalue-based classification network (LogECNet) is introduced to enhance signal number detection accuracy in challenging scenarios, such as the low signal-to-noise (SNR) regime and limited snapshots. Next, a multi-label classification model called the root-spectrum network (RSNet) is devised to estimate the DoAs using the signal number inferred by LogECNet. In the proposed architecture, the full-row Toeplitz matrices reconstruction (FTMR), which exploits all rows of the signal covariance matrix (SCM), is combined with LogECNet and RSNet to inversely map the SCM to the numerical DoAs in the coherent scenario. It is shown that the eigenvalues factorized from the FTMR output matrix become more robust sources for signal enumeration than those of the forward/backward spatial smoothing (FBSS) algorithm. Furthermore, the logarithmic scaling of the eigenvalues of the FTMR results in LogECNet outperforming other detectors. The simulation results show our proposed method not only improves the signal number detection and angular estimation performance, but also achieves the complexity reduction with respect to the prior schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Link adaptation (LA) is an adaptive transmission technique that determines the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on channel-state information. In LA, an accurate estimation of the link performance is required to optimally determine the MCS level. In this correspondence, a high-accuracy machine-learning (ML)-aided link-level performance-prediction method for coded multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) systems is proposed. The basic concept of this scheme is to apply the ML model to train the relation between the inputs, such as the channel matrix and signal-to-noise ratio, and the output of the block-error rate (BLER). Specifically, we predict the index of the quantized BLER value using a random forest classifier. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme is able to accurately predict the link performance of MIMO systems and outperforms the conventional link performance-prediction schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new hybrid analog and digital combining architecture for millimeter wave (mmWave) multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems. The proposed structure employs antenna subset selection per radio frequency (RF) chain based on active/inactive switches and uses constant phase shifters (CPS) to control the phases of signals in the RF circuit. In this scheme, for each RF chain, a subset of receive antennas that contribute more to the desired signal power than the interference power is chosen for signal combining in the analog domain, whereas other receive antennas are excluded from signal combining, thereby enhancing sum-rates. Simultaneously, the proposed structure reduces power consumption in the RF circuit by exclusively activating switches that correspond to the antennas selected for each RF chain. We also develop three low-complexity algorithms for per-RF chain antenna subset selection. Finally, through numerical simulation, we show that the proposed structure provides higher spectral efficiency and higher energy efficiency than conventional hybrid analog and digital combining schemes for mmWave MU-MIMO systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conventional tabu search (TS) detection algorithm for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the metrics of all neighboring vectors are computed to determine the best one to move to. This strategy requires high computational complexity, especially in large MIMO systems with high-order modulation schemes such as 16- and 64-QAM signaling. This paper proposes a novel reduced-complexity TS detection algorithm called neighbor-grouped TS (NG-TS), which divides the neighbors into groups and finds the best neighbor by using a simplified cost function. Furthermore, based on the complexity analysis of NG-TS, we propose a channel ordering scheme that further reduces its complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed NG-TS with channel ordering can achieve up to 85% complexity reduction with respect to the conventional TS algorithm with no performance loss in both low- and higher-order modulation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conventional tabu search (TS) detection algorithm for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the cost metrics of all neighboring vectors are computed to determine the best neighbor. This can require an excessively high computational complexity, especially in large MIMO systems because the number of neighboring vectors and the dimension per vector are large. In this study, we propose an improved TS algorithm based on the QR decomposition of the channel matrix (QR-TS), which allows for finding the best neighbor with a significantly lower complexity compared with the conventional TS algorithm. Specifically, QR-TS does not compute all metrics by early rejecting unpromising neighbors, which reduces the computational load of TS without causing any performance loss. To further optimize the QR-TS algorithm, we investigate novel ordering schemes, namely the transmit-ordering (Tx-ordering) and receive-ordering (Rx-ordering), which can considerably reduce the complexity of QR-TS. Simulation results show that QR-TS reduces the complexity approximately by a factor of two compared with the conventional TS. Furthermore, when both Tx-ordering and Rx-ordering are applied, QR-TS requires approximately $60\%\text{ -- }90\%$ less complexity compared with the conventional TS scheme. The proposed algorithms are suitable for both low-order and high-order modulation, and can achieve a significant complexity reduction compared to the Schnorr–Euchner and $K\text{-}$ best sphere decoders in large MIMO systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we consider the downlink of millimeter-wave massive multiple-input multiple-output systems that employ orthogonal random precoding (ORP) and minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) receivers. In the ORP scheme, a precoding matrix consisting of orthogonal vectors is utilized at the transmitter, which provides beamforming gains to enhance the maximum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the receivers. In this study, the ability of the ORP scheme with MMSE receivers to extend the cell coverage and its sum-rate performance for cell-edge users are investigated. In particular, we first derive the approximate distribution of the maximum SINR at the output of the MMSE receiver. Then, to analyze and optimize the ORP scheme with MMSE receivers in terms of coverage and sum-rate performance, the analytical expressions for the downlink coverage probability and sum rate are derived. It is shown that there is a tradeoff between coverage and sum-rate performance in the ORP scheme. In particular, a smaller number of precoding vectors provides larger coverage; however, it leads to a lower sum rate. To achieve optimal tradeoff between coverage and sum rate for the ORP scheme, we propose using multiple random precoder groups over multiple time slots. It is shown that the proposed scheme is capable of significantly enhancing coverage performance while preserving an acceptable sum rate for cell-edge users. The simulation results validate the analytical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a linear interference alignment (IA) scheme, which can be used for uplink channels in a general multicell multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) cellular network. The proposed scheme aims to align interference caused by signals from a set of transmitters into a subspace that is established by the signals from only a subset of those transmitters, thereby effectively reducing the number of interfering transmitters. The total degrees of freedom (DoF) achievable by the proposed scheme is given in closed-form expression, and a numerical analysis shows that the proposed scheme can achieve the optimal DoF in certain scenarios and provides a higher total DoF than other related schemes in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present uplink interference alignment (IA) schemes for two-cell multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Assuming that each cell has K interfering users, we propose an IA scheme for the full interference channel (FIC) and derive the achievable degrees of freedom (DOFs). The proposed scheme is extended to a two-cell Z-interference channel (ZIC), where only one of the two cells is subject to interference. The achievable DOF for the two-cell ZIC channel is also derived, and it is compared with that of the FIC with the IA and that of the conventional orthogonal scheme based on numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reconfigurable intelligentsurface (RIS) has emerged as a cost- and energy-efficient solution to enhance the wireless communications capacity. However, recent studies show that a very large surface is required for a RIS-assisted communications system; otherwise, they may be outperformed by the conventional relay. Furthermore, the performance gain of a RIS can be considerably degraded by hardware impairments such as limited-resolution phase shifters. To overcome those challenges, we propose a hybrid relay-reflecting intelligent surface (HR-RIS) architecture, in which a single or few elements serve as active relays, while the remaining only reflect the incident signals. We propose two HR-RIS architectures, namely, the fixed and dynamic HR-RIS. The joint transmit beamforming at the base station and hybrid relay-reflecting at the HR-RIS are designed based on alternating optimization and successive convex approximation methods. The simulation results for a $4 \times 2$ multiple-input multiple-output system show that the proposed HR-RIS with only a single active element can achieve about 40% and 25% improvement in spectral efficiency and energy efficiency, respectively, with respect to the conventional RIS-aided system. The results also show that the HR-RIS can outperform the conventional relaying scheme in most of the considered scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a novel dynamic unequal sub-array (DUESA) architecture for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with partially connected hybrid beamforming (PC-HBF) that relaxes the antenna-allocation constraint in the conventional unequal sub-array (UESA) architecture. The proposed DUESA architecture dynamically allocates antennas to sub-arrays based on channel state information, which leads to a combinatorial problem to optimize the sum rate. The exact solution to this problem requires an exhaustive search; however, the total number of candidates to search through can be extremely large in massive MIMO systems. To address this challenge, we propose three sub-optimal algorithms. The first is a tabu search-based algorithm, which examines the neighbors of the current solution to antenna-to-sub-array allocation and moves to the best one in each iteration. The second is a sequential antenna-reallocation algorithm with reduced complexity, which updates an antenna-to-sub-array assignment in each iteration. The third algorithm, that is, greedy antenna allocation, is composed of two sub-optimal algorithms. In its first part, only a single antenna is allocated to each sub-array based on a conventional algorithm. Then, in the second part, the antennas are added sequentially to each sub-array to optimize the system sum rate. The numerical results demonstrate that the DUESA architecture achieves substantially higher total achievable rates than conventional PC-HBF schemes. Furthermore, it has approximately 10%–20% higher energy efficiency than the conventional UESA architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, low-complexity sphere decoding (SD) algorithms for generalized spatial modulation (GSM) are proposed. To reduce the computational complexity of the SD algorithm for GSM, layer ordering and transmit antenna combination (TAC) partitioning are employed. The layer ordering scheme determines the detection order of layers based on their reliabilities, which are measured by their minimum mean-square errors (MMSEs). In TAC partitioning, which is combined with the early termination technique, the likely TACs are selected by exploiting an MMSE-based weighting metric to reduce the search space. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ordering and partitioning aided SD schemes achieve nearly the same performance as the conventional SD scheme; however, they require significantly low complexity, especially in large GSM multiple-input-multiple-output systems and in the low SNR region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correspondence paper proposes a low-complexity adaptive spatial modulation (ASM) scheme, which is based on sphere search (SS). To find the optimal ASM mode, the existing ASM schemes examine each error vector in the search space. By contrast, in the proposed SS-aided strategy, the search space is reduced to the error vectors inside a sphere, which results in significant complexity reduction. By exploiting a similar structure between the error vectors in ASM and symbol vectors in generalized spatial modulation (GSM), we modify the sphere decoder for GSM to develop an efficient two-step SS scheme for ASM. In addition, an early termination scheme is employed to further reduce the computational load of the SS process for each ASM mode. Simulation results show that SS-aided ASM provides a significant reduction in computational complexity compared to the existing ASM schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An initial solution based on lattice reduction (LR) and a novel stopping criterion for the tabu search (TS) detection algorithm are proposed for use in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna systems. LR aided‐detection is performed and its result is utilised as an initial solution to the TS algorithm, while a measure of the condition of the lattice‐reduced channel is used as a criterion for early termination of the algorithm. On the basis of the simulation results, this approach outperforms other initial solutions by about 3.5 dB at a BER of 10−3 for the 16‐QAM 16 × 16 MIMO with only a slight increment in computational cost. The proposed stopping criterion reduces the complexity further with virtually no loss in BER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We present a new on-line internal calibration algorithm for a CDMA (code division multiple access) antenna array. The proposed calibration algorithm gives an accurate calibration vector, and as byproducts, the vector-channel parameters of an arbitrarily selected reference user. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]