Design of Novel Reconfigurable Reflectarrays with Single-bit Phase Resolution for Ku-Band Satellite Antenna Applications

Reconfigurable reflectarray antennas operating in Ku-band are presented in this paper. First, a novel multilayer unit-cell based on polarization turning concept is proposed to achieve the single-bit phase shift required for reconfigurable reflectarray applications. The principle of the unit-cell is discussed using the current model and the space match condition, along with simulations to corroborate the design and performance criteria. Then, an offset-fed configuration is developed to verify performance of the unit-cell in antenna application, and its polarization transformation property is elaborated. Finally, an offset-fed reflectarray with 10×10 elements is developed and fabricated. The dual-polarized antenna utilizes the control code matrices to accomplish a wide angle beam-scanning. A full wave analysis is applied to the reflectarray, and detailed results are presented and discussed. This electronically steerable reflectarray antenna has significant potential for satellite applications, due to its wide operating band, simple control and beam-scanning capability

Tunable Coupling Architectures with Capacitively Connecting Pads for Large-Scale Superconducting Multi-Qubit Processors

We have proposed and experimentally verified a tunable inter-qubit coupling scheme for large-scale integration of superconducting qubits. The key feature of the scheme is the insertion of connecting pads between qubit and tunable coupling element. In such a way, the distance between two qubits can be increased considerably to a few millimeters, leaving enough space for arranging control lines, readout resonators and other necessary structures. The increased inter-qubit distance provides more wiring space for flip-chip process and reduces crosstalk between qubits and from control lines to qubits. We use the term Tunable Coupler with Capacitively Connecting Pad (TCCP) to name the tunable coupling part that consists of a transmon coupler and capacitively connecting pads. With the different placement of connecting pads, different TCCP architectures can be realized. We have designed and fabricated a few multi-qubit devices in which TCCP is used for coupling. The measured results show that the performance of the qubits coupled by the TCCP, such as $T_1$ and $T_2$, was similar to that of the traditional transmon qubits without TCCP. Meanwhile, our TCCP also exhibited a wide tunable range of the effective coupling strength and a low residual ZZ interaction between the qubits by properly tuning the parameters on the design. Finally, we successfully implemented an adiabatic CZ gate with TCCP. Furthermore, by introducing TCCP, we also discuss the realization of the flip-chip process and tunable coupling qubits between different chips.Comment: Main text: 7 pages, 6 figure

Household air pollution and epigenetic aging in Xuanwei, China

BACKGROUND: Household air pollution (HAP) from indoor combustion of solid fuel is a global health burden linked to lung cancer. In Xuanwei, China, lung cancer rate for nonsmoking women is among the highest in the world and largely attributed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are produced from combustion of smoky (bituminous) coal used for cooking and heating. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), a DNA methylation-based biomarker of aging, has been shown to be highly correlated with biological processes underlying the susceptibility of age-related diseases. We aim to assess the association between HAP exposure and EAA. METHODS: We analyzed data from 106 never-smoking women from Xuanwei, China. Information on fuel type was collected using a questionnaire, and validated exposure models were used to predict levels of 43 HAP constituents. Exposure clusters were identified using hierarchical clustering. EAA was derived for five epigenetic clocks defined as the residuals resulting from regressing each clock on chronological age. We used generalized estimating equations to test associations between exposure clusters derived from predicted levels of HAP exposure, ambient 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), a PAH previously found to be associated with risk of lung cancer, and EAA, while accounting for repeated-measurements and confounders. RESULTS: We observed an increase in GrimAge EAA for clusters with 31 and 33 PAHs reflecting current (β = 0.77 y per standard deviation (SD) increase, 95 % CI:0.36,1.19) and childhood (β = 0.92 y per SD, 95 % CI:0.40,1.45) exposure, respectively. 5-MC (ng/m 3-year) was found to be associated with GrimAge EAA for current (β = 0.15 y, 95 % CI:0.05,0.25) and childhood (β = 0.30 y, 95 % CI:0.13,0.47) exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that exposure to PAHs from indoor smoky coal combustion, particularly 5-MC, is associated with GrimAge EAA, a biomarker of mortality

Model of Electricity Trading Risk Warning under The New Power System Reform

Under the new power system reform, the scale of electricity trading market in China grows rapidly, burdening power companies with more uncertainty risk relate to market trading. This paper constructs a risk warning model for electricity trading, and take market price fluctuation as the signal of market trading risk to carry out risk warning

Molecular mechanisms underlying the BIRC6-mediated regulation of apoptosis and autophagy

Abstract Procaspase 9 is the initiator caspase for apoptosis, but how its levels and activities are maintained remains unclear. The gigantic Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis Protein BIRC6/BRUCE/Apollon inhibits both apoptosis and autophagy by promoting ubiquitylation of proapoptotic factors and the key autophagic protein LC3, respectively. Here we show that BIRC6 forms an anti-parallel U-shaped dimer with multiple previously unannotated domains, including a ubiquitin-like domain, and the proapoptotic factor Smac/DIABLO binds BIRC6 in the central cavity. Notably, Smac outcompetes the effector caspase 3 and the pro-apoptotic protease HtrA2, but not procaspase 9, for binding BIRC6 in cells. BIRC6 also binds LC3 through its LC3-interacting region, probably following dimer disruption of this BIRC6 region. Mutation at LC3 ubiquitylation site promotes autophagy and autophagic degradation of BIRC6. Moreover, induction of autophagy promotes autophagic degradation of BIRC6 and caspase 9, but not of other effector caspases. These results are important to understand how the balance between apoptosis and autophagy is regulated under pathophysiological conditions

Gene polymorphism of cytochrome P450 significantly affects lung cancer susceptibility

Abstract Background Cytochrome P450 (CYPs) are heme proteins involved in the metabolism of a variety of endogenous and exogenous substances and play an important role in the carcinogenesis mechanisms of environmental and hereditary factors. The objective of this study was to investigate how polymorphisms of CYPs correlate with lung cancer (LC) susceptibility. Methods Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in this study. The chi‐square test and unconditional logistic regression model were used to evaluate the correlation between SNPs and LC susceptibility. The expressions and survival data of genes in patients with LC were mined using Oncomine and Kaplan‐Meier Plotter database. Results Four SNPs were found to be significantly associated with the risk of LC development (P < 0.05). The most significant correlation was that the A allele and AA genotype of CYP2D6 rs1065852 were associated with increased risk of LC development (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.13‐1.60, P = 9.04e‐4; OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.29‐2.59, P = 0.001 respectively). Similar association of this variant was also found in the subgroups of male patients, cases in III‐IV stages, positive lymph node, squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. Whereas rs1065852 was considered as protective factor in females (adjusted OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.16‐0.70, P = 0.004). In stratified analyses, the association of CYP24A1 rs2762934, CYP24A1 rs6068816, CYP20A1 rs2043449 polymorphism with LC risk appeared stronger in some subgroups. CYP2D6, CYP24A1 and CYP20A1 are overexpressed in some pathological types of LC (P < 0.05), and high levels of CYP2D6 and CYP20A1 indicate poor and good prognosis of LC, respectively. Conclusion This study revealed that rs1065852, rs2043449, rs2762s934, and rs6068816 of CYPs were associated with LC susceptibility in the Northwestern Chinese Han population; CYP2D6 and CYP20A1 were overexpressed and correlated with prognosis of LC

Sleep Duration across the Adult Lifecourse and Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality: A Cohort Study in Xuanwei, China

Sufficient sleep duration is crucial for maintaining normal physiological function and has been linked to cancer risk; however, its contribution to lung cancer mortality is unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between average sleep duration in various age-periods across the adult lifecourse, and risk of lung cancer mortality in Xuanwei, China. An ambidirectional cohort study was conducted in 42,422 farmers from Xuanwei, China. Participants or their surrogates were interviewed in 1992 to assess average sleep hours in the age periods of 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, and 6571 years, which were categorized as 647, 8 (reference), 9, and 6510 hours/day. Vital status was followed until 2011. Sex-specific Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lung cancer mortality in 1994-2011, adjusted for demographic, anthropometric, medical, and household characteristics. J-shaped relationships were found between average sleep duration and lung cancer mortality. The patterns were consistent across sex, age periods, and fuel usage. Compared with sleeping 8 hours/day on average, 647 hours/day was associated with significantly increased HRs ranging from 1.39 to 1.58 in ages 6541 years in men, and 1.29 to 2.47 in ages 6551 years in women. Furthermore, sleeping 6510 hours/day was associated with significantly increased HRs ranging from 2.44 to 3.27 in ages 6541 year in men, and 1.31 to 2.45 in ages 6460 years in women. Greater and less than 8 hours/day of sleep in various age-periods may be associated with elevated risk of lung cancer mortality in Xuanwei, China. Cancer Prev Res; 1-9. \ua92017 AACR

Exposure to smoky coal combustion emissions and leukocyte Alu retroelement copy number

Household air pollution (HAP) from indoor combustion of solid fuel is a global health burden that has been linked to multiple diseases including lung cancer. In Xuanwei, China, lung cancer rate for non-smoking women is among the highest in the world and largely attributed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are produced from combustion of smoky (bituminous) coal. Alu retroelements, repetitive mobile DNA sequences that can somatically multiply and promote genomic instability have been associated with risk of lung cancer and diesel engine exhaust exposure. We conducted analyses for 160 non-smoking women in an exposure assessment study in Xuanwei, China with a repeat sample from 49 subjects. Quantitative PCR was used to measure Alu repeat copy number relative to albumin gene copy number (Alu/ALB ratio). Associations between clusters derived from predicted levels of 43 HAP constituents, 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), a PAH previously associated with lung cancer in Xuanwei and was selected a priori for analysis, and Alu repeats were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. A cluster of 31 PAHs reflecting current exposure was associated with increased Alu copy number (β:0.03 per standard deviation change; 95% confidence interval (CI):0.01,0.04; P-value = 2E-04). One compound within this cluster, 5-MC, was also associated with increased Alu copy number (P-value = 0.02). Our findings suggest that exposure to PAHs due to indoor smoky coal combustion may contribute to genomic instability. Additionally, our study provides further support for 5-MC as a prominent carcinogenic component of smoky coal emissions. Further studies are needed to replicate our findings

Sleep Duration across the Adult Lifecourse and Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality : A Cohort Study in Xuanwei, China

Sufficient sleep duration is crucial for maintaining normal physiological function and has been linked to cancer risk; however, its contribution to lung cancer mortality is unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between average sleep duration in various age-periods across the adult lifecourse, and risk of lung cancer mortality in Xuanwei, China. An ambidirectional cohort study was conducted in 42,422 farmers from Xuanwei, China. Participants or their surrogates were interviewed in 1992 to assess average sleep hours in the age periods of 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, and ≥71 years, which were categorized as ≤7, 8 (reference), 9, and ≥10 hours/day. Vital status was followed until 2011. Sex-specific Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lung cancer mortality in 1994-2011, adjusted for demographic, anthropometric, medical, and household characteristics. J-shaped relationships were found between average sleep duration and lung cancer mortality. The patterns were consistent across sex, age periods, and fuel usage. Compared with sleeping 8 hours/day on average, ≤7 hours/day was associated with significantly increased HRs ranging from 1.39 to 1.58 in ages ≥41 years in men, and 1.29 to 2.47 in ages ≥51 years in women. Furthermore, sleeping ≥10 hours/day was associated with significantly increased HRs ranging from 2.44 to 3.27 in ages ≥41 year in men, and 1.31 to 2.45 in ages ≤60 years in women. Greater and less than 8 hours/day of sleep in various age-periods may be associated with elevated risk of lung cancer mortality in Xuanwei, China. Cancer Prev Res; 10(6); 327-35. ©2017 AACR