Massive multiple-input multiple-output (M-MIMO) technology is considered to be a key enabling technology for future wireless communication systems. One of the challenges in effectively implementing ...an advanced precoding scheme to a large-scale array antenna is how to reduce the mutual coupling among antenna elements. In this paper, a new concept that is called array-antenna decoupling surface (ADS) for reducing the mutual coupling between antenna elements in a large-scale array antenna is proposed for the first time. An ADS is a thin surface that is composed of a plurality of electrical small metal patches and is placed in front of the array antenna. The partially diffracted waves from the ADS can be controlled to cancel the unwanted coupled waves. Two practical design examples are given to illustrate the design process and considerations, and to demonstrate the usefulness of ADS for the applications of phased array antennas and M-MIMO systems when commonly used precoding schemes are applied. The attractive features of ADS include its applicability to a large-scale array antenna; suitability for a wide range of antenna forms; wide decoupling bandwidth; and simplicity in implementation.
Plant-pathogen interactions induce a signal transmission series that stimulates the plant's host defense system against pathogens and this, in turn, leads to disease resistance responses. Plant ...innate immunity mainly includes two lines of the defense system, called pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). There is extensive signal exchange and recognition in the process of triggering the plant immune signaling network. Plant messenger signaling molecules, such as calcium ions, reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide, and plant hormone signaling molecules, such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene, play key roles in inducing plant defense responses. In addition, heterotrimeric G proteins, the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in regulating disease resistance and the defense signal transduction network. This paper summarizes the status and progress in plant disease resistance and disease resistance signal transduction pathway research in recent years; discusses the complexities of, and interactions among, defense signal pathways; and forecasts future research prospects to provide new ideas for the prevention and control of plant diseases.
Staggered array antenna is a common array configuration for large-scale array antennas due to its favorable radiation characteristics and relatively large element spacing. In developing a compact ...staggered dipole array, the most challenging issue is how to simultaneously reduce the four mutual couplings taking place between adjacent co-polarized antenna elements with diversified phase laggings. A large difference in the phase of different mutual couplings makes simultaneous reduction of all the mutual couplings by applying the recently developed array-antenna decoupling surface (ADS) technique difficult. In this article, a phase compensation method by using a staple-shaped probe for alleviating the largest phase offset is proposed conceptually and verified experimentally. With the proposed phase compensation method, the ADS technique can be effectively applied to a compact staggered dipole array with a wideband simultaneous decoupling. The design guideline for the phase compensation probe is presented by EM simulation and a parametric study. Two practical design examples of dual polarized staggered dipole arrays are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed phase compensation method in conjunction with ADS, showing a promising potential for wideband simultaneous decoupling of a large-scale dual polarized staggered dipole array-antenna.
A new wideband ±45° dual-polarized metal loop dielectric resonator magnetoelectric antenna is proposed in this communication. The antenna consists of two orthogonal dielectric bars that support two ...orthogonal electric dipoles and two cross interlaced metal semi-loops that are equivalent to two orthogonal magnetic dipoles above the ground. With a legitimate combination of the electric and magnetic dipoles, a unidirectional radiation with low backward radiation and equal E-plane and H-plane radiation patterns can be achieved. The antenna can be made of a monolithic dielectric block with simple installation. To validate the new antenna configuration, a prototype is designed, manufactured, and measured. The prototype antenna using ceramic with the electrical size of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.33\lambda _{o} \times 0.33\lambda _{o} \times 0.21\lambda _{o} </tex-math></inline-formula> demonstrates that an impedance bandwidth of 11.4% (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\vert S_{11}\vert < -15 </tex-math></inline-formula> dB) in the 3.5 GHz frequency band can be achieved with the measured forward/backward ratio of better than 22 dB. The proposed antenna is suitable as antenna element for massive-MIMO array antennas, where a large number of antenna elements need to be installed in a compact space.
Light has been widely used for cancer therapeutics such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy. This paper describes a strategy called enzyme-enhanced phototherapy (EEPT) for cancer ...treatment. We constructed a nanoparticle platform by covalent conjugation of glucose oxidase (GOx) to small polymer dots, which could be persistently immobilized into a tumor. While the malignant tumors have high glucose uptake, the GOx efficiently catalyzes the glucose oxidation with simultaneous generation of H2O2. Under light irradiation, the in situ generated H2O2 was photolyzed to produce hydroxyl radical, the most reactive oxygen species, for killing cancer cells. In vitro assays indicated that the cancer cells were destroyed by using a nanoparticle concentration at 0.2 μg/mL and a light dose of ∼120 J/cm2, indicating the significantly enhanced efficiency of the EEPT method when compared to typical PDT that requires a photosensitizer of >10 μg/mL for effective cell killing under the same light dose. Furthermore, remarkable inhibition of tumor growth was observed in xenograft-bearing mice, indicating the promise of the EEPT approach for cancer therapeutics.
Several observational studies have suggested an association between cigarette smoking and risk of hip fracture. However, no formal systematic review or meta-analysis was performed to summarize this ...risk in men.
A search was applied to MEDLINE, EMBASE, and web of science (up to November 1 2016). All prospective cohort studies assessing risk of hip fracture with the factor of cigarette smoking in men without language restriction were reviewed, and qualities of all included studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Two authors independently assessed literatures and extracted information eligibility, and any disagreement was resolved by consensus. Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale was used to evaluate studies' quality in meta-analyses. We calculated the RR with 95% CIs in a random-effects model as well as the fixed-effects model using the metan command in the STATA version 12.0 (StataCorp, USA).
Fourteen prospective cohort studies were eligible for the present analysis. A meta-analysis of 12 prospective studies showed that the relative risk (RR) for current male smoking was 1.47 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.28-1.66), p = 0.54; I2 = 0%. Subgroup analyses show study characteristics (including geography region, length of follow-up, size of cohorts and study quality) did not substantially influence these positive associations. Eight studies reported the RRs for former smokers compared with never smokers and the pooled RR was 1.15 95% CI, (0.97-1.34), (I2 = 0%, p = 0.975).
The present meta-analysis of 14 prospective studies suggests that, compared with never smokers, cigarette smoking increases risk of hip fracture in man, specifically in current smokers. However, further larger prospective cohorts with more power or meta-analysis of individual patient data are needed to confirm this association.
The centrosome is the primary microtubule organizing center of the cells and templates the formation of cilia, thereby operating at a nexus of critical cellular functions. Here, we use ...proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) to map the centrosome-cilium interface; with 58 bait proteins we generate a protein topology network comprising >7,000 interactions. Analysis of interaction profiles coupled with high resolution phenotypic profiling implicates a number of protein modules in centriole duplication, ciliogenesis, and centriolar satellite biogenesis and highlights extensive interplay between these processes. By monitoring dynamic changes in the centrosome-cilium protein interaction landscape during ciliogenesis, we also identify satellite proteins that support cilia formation. Systematic profiling of proximity interactions combined with functional analysis thus provides a rich resource for better understanding human centrosome and cilia biology. Similar strategies may be applied to other complex biological structures or pathways.
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•BioID conducted on 58 centriole, satellite, and ciliary transition zone proteins•Centriole-cilium interface map comprises >1,700 unique components, >7,000 interactions•Microscopy and functional screens confirm new centriole-cilium regulatory modules•Dynamic modulation of interaction landscape observed during ciliogenesis program
In vivo proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) generates a protein interaction map of the human centrosome-cilium interface, revealing protein modules critical for centrosome and cilium biogenesis and pervasive and dynamic interplay between the two processes.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are local dilations of infrarenal segment of aortas. Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AAA remain not fully clear. However, inflammation has been ...considered as a central player in the development of AAA. In the past few decades, studies demonstrated a host of inflammatory cells, including T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, B cells, and mast cells, etc. infiltrating into aortic walls, which implicated their crucial roles. In addition to direct cell contacts and cytokine or protease secretions, special structures like inflammasomes and neutrophil extracellular traps have been investigated to explore their functions in aneurysm formation. The above-mentioned inflammatory cells and associated structures may initiate and promote AAA expansion. Understanding their impacts and interaction networks formation is meaningful to develop new strategies of screening and pharmacological interventions for AAA. In this review, we aim to discuss the roles and mechanisms of these inflammatory cells in AAA pathogenesis.
A series of cathode materials, LiNi0.6Co0.12Mn0.2Fe0.081‐xCrxO2 (x=0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06), are synthesized via the co‐precipitation method. Structural characterization shows that Cr3+ ions are ...successfully incorporated into the material structure and evenly dispersed on the surface of crystal particles with other metal elements. The Cr‐doped material shows a well‐defined hexagonal layered structure with less cation mixing, and the increase in interionic and interlayer distances is beneficial for the transport of lithium ions. Compared to the pure NCMFe phase, the cyclic and rate performances of the Cr‐doped quaternary materials have been significantly improved. Among them, the 4Cr material exhibits the best electrochemical performance. The capacity retention rate after 50 charge‐discharge cycles at 0.1 C was increased from 74.83 % to 87.32 %. The rate performance has also increased from 87.6 % to 92.69 %. The Cr‐doped cathode can reduce the charge transfer resistance and enhance the stability of the layered structure, which results in outstanding electrochemical performance of the Cr‐doped cathode. CV and EIS tests were conducted on materials with various Cr doping levels, further confirming that Cr doping can reduce the degree of polarization in electrode materials, enhance charge and discharge reversibility, and reduce the charge transfer resistance of materials.
The Quaternary material NCMFe was prepared by the co‐precipitation method, and the properties of the material were improved by exploring the amount of Cr doping. The cycle and rate properties of the modified battery were greatly improved.
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