Distributed Active Noise Control System Based on a Block Diffusion FxLMS Algorithm with Bidirectional Communication

Recently, distributed active noise control systems based on diffusion adaptation have attracted significant research interest due to their balance between computational complexity and stability compared to conventional centralized and decentralized adaptation schemes. However, the existing diffusion FxLMS algorithm employs node-specific adaptation and neighborhood-wide combination, and assumes that the control filters of neighbor nodes are similar to each other. This assumption is not true in practical applications, and it leads to inferior performance to the centralized controller approach. In contrast, this paper proposes a Block Diffusion FxLMS algorithm with bidirectional communication, which uses neighborhood-wide adaptation and node-specific combination to update the control filters. Simulation results validate that the proposed algorithm converges to the solution of the centralized controller with reduced computational burden

Can ChatGPT be used to generate scientific hypotheses?

We investigate whether large language models can perform the creative hypothesis generation that human researchers regularly do. While the error rate is high, generative AI seems to be able to effectively structure vast amounts of scientific knowledge and provide interesting and testable hypotheses. The future scientific enterprise may include synergistic efforts with a swarm of "hypothesis machines", challenged by automated experimentation and adversarial peer reviews

Urinary complement profile in IgA nephropathy and its correlation with the clinical and pathological characteristics

Background and objectivesThe activated complement profile in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is still unclear. Our study investigated the profile of urinary complements in IgAN patients and its correlations with clinical and pathological characteristics.MethodsUrinary protein abundance was detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in 50 IgAN, 50 membranous nephropathy (MN), and 68 healthy controls (HC). Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed proteins in IgAN patients. The differentially expressed complement proteins were screened in IgAN patients, and their correlations with laboratory or pathological parameters were analyzed. Thereafter, 7 complement components were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the urine samples of 45 IgAN patients.ResultsThere were 786 differentially expressed proteins between IgAN and HC. KEGG analysis showed that differentially expressed urinary proteins in IgAN were enriched with complement. Of these, 67% of urinary complement protein abundance was associated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate. The urinary complement-related protein collectin12 (colec12), complement H factor (CFH), complement H factor-related protein 2 (CFHR2), and complement B factor (CFB) were positively correlated with serum creatinine; colec12, CFHR2, CFB, and C8g were positively correlated with glomerulosclerosis; CFH, CFHR2, C8g, and C9 were positively correlated with tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis.ConclusionAbnormally increased components of complement pathways significantly correlate with reduced renal function, proteinuria, and renal histological damage in IgAN. It could provide a potential biomarker panel for monitoring IgAN and provide clues for therapeutic choice targeting complement system of IgAN patients

Aberrant brain entropy in posttraumatic stress disorder comorbid with major depressive disorder during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

AimPreviously, neuroimaging studies on comorbid Posttraumatic-Major depression disorder (PTSD-MDD) comorbidity found abnormalities in multiple brain regions among patients. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed dynamic nature on human brain activity during resting state, and entropy as an indicator of dynamic regularity may provide a new perspective for studying abnormalities of brain function among PTSD-MDD patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients with PTSD-MDD. We have decided to conduct research on resting-state brain functional activity of patients who developed PTSD-MDD during this period using entropy.MethodsThirty three patients with PTSD-MDD and 36 matched TCs were recruited. PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed using multiple clinical scales. All subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. And the brain entropy (BEN) maps were calculated using the BEN mapping toolbox. A two-sample t-test was used to compare the differences in the brain entropy between the PTSD-MDD comorbidity group and TC group. Furthermore, correlation analysis was conducted between the BEN changes in patients with PTSD-MDD and clinical scales.ResultsCompared to the TCs, PTSD-MDD patients had a reduced BEN in the right middle frontal orbital gyrus (R_MFOG), left putamen, and right inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part (R_IFOG). Furthermore, a higher BEN in the R_MFOG was related to higher CAPS and HAMD-24 scores in the patients with PTSD-MDD.ConclusionThe results showed that the R_MFOG is a potential marker for showing the symptom severity of PTSD-MDD comorbidity. Consequently, PTSD-MDD may have reduced BEN in frontal and basal ganglia regions which are related to emotional dysregulation and cognitive deficits

Sample multiplexing-based targeted pathway proteomics with real-time analytics reveals the impact of genetic variation on protein expression.

Targeted proteomics enables hypothesis-driven research by measuring the cellular expression of protein cohorts related by function, disease, or class after perturbation. Here, we present a pathway-centric approach and an assay builder resource for targeting entire pathways of up to 200 proteins selected from \u3e10,000 expressed proteins to directly measure their abundances, exploiting sample multiplexing to increase throughput by 16-fold. The strategy, termed GoDig, requires only a single-shot LC-MS analysis, ~1 µg combined peptide material, a list of up to 200 proteins, and real-time analytics to trigger simultaneous quantification of up to 16 samples for hundreds of analytes. We apply GoDig to quantify the impact of genetic variation on protein expression in mice fed a high-fat diet. We create several GoDig assays to quantify the expression of multiple protein families (kinases, lipid metabolism- and lipid droplet-associated proteins) across 480 fully-genotyped Diversity Outbred mice, revealing protein quantitative trait loci and establishing potential linkages between specific proteins and lipid homeostasis

Integrated rocksalt–polyanion cathodes with excess lithium and stabilized cycling

Co- and Ni-free disordered rocksalt cathodes utilize oxygen redox to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, but it is challenging to achieve good cycle life at high voltages >4.5 V (versus Li/Li+). Here we report a family of Li-excess Mn-rich cathodes that integrates rocksalt- and polyanion-type structures. Following design rules for cation filling and ordering, we demonstrate the bulk incorporation of polyanion groups into the rocksalt lattice. This integration bridges the two primary families of lithium-ion battery cathodes—layered/spinel and phosphate oxides—dramatically enhancing the cycling stability of disordered rocksalt cathodes with 4.8 V upper cut-off voltage. The cathode exhibits high gravimetric energy densities above 1,100 Wh kg−1 and >70% retention over 100 cycles. This study opens up a broad compositional space for developing battery cathodes using earth-abundant elements such as Mn and Fe

PTER is a N-acetyltaurine hydrolase that regulates feeding and obesity.

Taurine is a conditionally essential micronutrient and one of the most abundant amino acids in humans1-3. In endogenous taurine metabolism, dedicated enzymes are involved in the biosynthesis of taurine from cysteine and in the downstream metabolism of secondary taurine metabolites4,5. One taurine metabolite is N-acetyltaurine6. Levels of N-acetyltaurine are dynamically regulated by stimuli that alter taurine or acetate flux, including endurance exercise7, dietary taurine supplementation8 and alcohol consumption6,9. So far, the identities of the enzymes involved in N-acetyltaurine metabolism, and the potential functions of N-acetyltaurine itself, have remained unknown. Here we show that the body mass index associated orphan enzyme phosphotriesterase-related (PTER)10 is a physiological N-acetyltaurine hydrolase. In vitro, PTER catalyses the hydrolysis of N-acetyltaurine to taurine and acetate. In mice, PTER is expressed in the kidney, liver and brainstem. Genetic ablation of Pter in mice results in complete loss of tissue N-acetyltaurine hydrolysis activity and a systemic increase in N-acetyltaurine levels. After stimuli that increase taurine levels, Pter knockout mice exhibit reduced food intake, resistance to diet-induced obesity and improved glucose homeostasis. Administration of N-acetyltaurine to obese wild-type mice also reduces food intake and body weight in a GFRAL-dependent manner. These data place PTER into a central enzymatic node of secondary taurine metabolism and uncover a role for PTER and N-acetyltaurine in body weight control and energy balance

Cloud Service Strategies and Competition in the Chinese Market Among Major Technology Companies

Regardless of the area of their core business -- marketplace, search engine, game or social network -- many major technology companies find cloud services a new area of growth. Amazon first launched the Amazon Web Services in 2006, followed by Microsoft launching Azure in 2010. On the other side of world, a similar story unfolded in China. Alibaba launched its cloud services in 2008. This thesis first analyzes why these three giant technology companies all chose to enter the cloud service market and how their strategies differ. Based on their capability, different companies have different product focuses on IaaS, PaaS and SaaS in cloud service. And instead of being a single product provider, most of them chose to build up a product platform integrating internal resources and external partnerships. The thesis also discusses how the cloud services impact each company’s financial performance. The Chinese cloud market is projected to grow at a stunning speed, which reveals huge potential. At the same time, the competition has been fierce among the players. In this section, the study is focused on the strategies of the three companies in this competition. The analysis starts with a general market overview and then examines the marketing strategies and competencies in this particular market for each company. The thesis also includes some recommendations to the companies as well as the future outlook of the market.S.M

Recent Advances in Polymer-Inorganic Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2 Separation

Since the second industrial revolution, the use of fossil fuels has been powering the advance of human society. However, the surge in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has raised unsettling concerns about global warming and its consequences. Membrane separation technologies have emerged as one of the major carbon reduction approaches because they are less energy-intensive and more environmentally friendly compared to other separation techniques. Compared to pure polymeric membranes, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) that encompass both a polymeric matrix and molecular sieving fillers have received tremendous attention, as they have the potential to combine the advantages of both polymers and molecular sieves, while cancelling out each other’s drawbacks. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the development of MMMs for CO2 separation. We will discuss general mechanisms of CO2 separation in an MMM, and then compare the performances of MMMs that are based on zeolite, MOF, metal oxide nanoparticles and nanocarbons, with an emphasis on the materials’ preparation methods and their chemistries. As the field is advancing fast, we will particularly focus on examples from the last 5 years, in order to provide the most up-to-date overview in this area

Functional Polymers for Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal anode based rechargeable batteries (LMB) are regarded as the most viable alternative to replace state-of-the-art lithium ion batteries (LIB) as they can provide higher-energydensity energy storage. With this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry being awarded to Akira Yoshino,M. Stanley Whittingham, and John B. Goodenough for their contribution in developing LIBs, even more attention is now drawn to the development of LMBs. Due to the highly reactive nature of metallic lithium and the change with regard to cathode, electrolyte and anode design, the industrial success of LMB has yet to be achieved. Traditionally, in an LMB the role of polymeric componentsis mostly limited to the role of separators and cathode binders. However, with the continued development of polymer chemistry and its growing number of applications in materials science, it is now recognized that designing and applying functional polymers can greatly improve thepractical performance of an LMB. This thesis describes how various polymer materials could be synthesized and tailored for improving the cycling stability of LMBs. Chapter 1 will systematically discuss the state-of-the-art of various macromolecular approaches to improve each major component of an LMB, namely the electrolyte/separators, anode-electrolyte interface, anode, cathode-electrolyte interface and highenergy- density cathode materials including layered metal oxides and sulfur. Chapter 2 describes the development of two polymer electrolytes with high lithium transference number prepared byatom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and anionic ring opening polymerization (ROP). Chapter 3 describes the development of two polymer based artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) that can stabilize the lithium deposition on the anode surface during lithium plating. One of the examples uses an organic/inorganic hybrid material prepared by covalently grafting polymers from a solid metal oxide by surface-initiated ATRP. Another one uses a single-ion polymer discussed in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 discusses the development of a composite lithium metal anodethat exhibits flowable properties and is compatible with ceramic solid electrolytes. Chapter 5 discusses how polymeric materials could be used as reactive surfactants to tailor the morphology of lithium metal from plain foils to microparticles and nanoflakes. Finally, a summary with outlook on future directions is provided. <br