Beamforming optimization for full-duplex cooperative cognitive radio networks

This paper considers the problem of beamforming optimization in a cognitive cooperative energy harvesting network, in which the secondary transmitter (ST) harvests energy from the primary transmitter (PT) and relays the information for the primary user (PU) with amplify-and-forward (AF) relay protocol. When the channel of the primary system is affected with deep fading or shadowing effects, the ST can assist the primary information transmission. It is particularly useful to employ the energy harvesting protocol to avoid that the ST does not have enough energy to assist the PU. Based on the self-energy recycling relay protocol, we study the beamforming optimization problem. We develop a semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation method to solve the proposed problem. We also use SDP and one-dimension (1-D) optimization to solve the beamforming optimization based on a time-switching relaying protocol (TSR) as a benchmark. The simulation results are presented to verify that the self-energy recycling protocol achieves a significant rate gain compared to the TSR protocol and the power-splitting relaying (PSR) protocol

Tunable particle separation in a hybrid dielectrophoresis (DEP)- inertial microfluidic device

Particle separation is indispensable in many microfluidic systems and holds a broad range of biomedical applications. Inertial microfluidic devices that work solely on intrinsic hydrodynamic forces and inertial effects can offer label-free, high throughput and high efficiency separation performance. However, the working range of the current inertial microfluidic systems is obtained by tailoring the inertial lift forces and secondary flow drag through flow speed. Each channel design is normally effective for specific target particles, which inevitably lacks the flexibility for various particle mixtures. Redesigning the structure and dimension of microchannels for new sets of particle mixtures is often time-consuming and expensive. In this work, by introducing an external dielectrophoretic force field and coupling it with inertial forces, we proposed here an innovative hybrid DEP-inertial microfluidic platform for particle tunable separation. The working principle of the device was explained and its functionality was validated by experiments. In addition, the dimension of target particle mixture can be varied by adjusting the electrical voltage without redesigning the channel structure or dimensions. It is expected that the proposed DEP-inertial concept can work as a flexible platform for a wide range of biomedical applications

Functional Liquid Metal Nanoparticles Produced by Liquid-Based Nebulization

Functional liquid metal nanoparticles (NPs), produced from eutectic alloys of gallium, promise new horizons in the fields of sensors, microfluidics, flexible electronics, catalysis, and biomedicine. Here, the development of a vapor cavity generating ultrasonic platform for nebulizing liquid metal within aqueous media for the one-step production of stable and functional liquid metal NPs is shown. The size distribution of the NPs is fully characterized and it is demonstrated that various macro and small molecules can also be grafted onto these liquid metal NPs during the liquid-based nebulization process. The cytotoxicity of the NPs grafted with different molecules is further explored. Moreover, it is shown that it is possible to control the thickness of the oxide layer on the produced NPs using electrochemistry that can be embedded within the platform. It is envisaged that this platform can be adapted as a cost-effective and versatile device for the rapid production of functional liquid metal NPs for future liquid metal-based optical, electronic, catalytic, and biomedical applications

The <i>Sinocyclocheilus</i> cavefish genome provides insights into cave adaptation

BACKGROUND: An emerging cavefish model, the cyprinid genus Sinocyclocheilus, is endemic to the massive southwestern karst area adjacent to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. In order to understand whether orogeny influenced the evolution of these species, and how genomes change under isolation, especially in subterranean habitats, we performed whole-genome sequencing and comparative analyses of three species in this genus, S. grahami, S. rhinocerous and S. anshuiensis. These species are surface-dwelling, semi-cave-dwelling and cave-restricted, respectively. RESULTS: The assembled genome sizes of S. grahami, S. rhinocerous and S. anshuiensis are 1.75 Gb, 1.73 Gb and 1.68 Gb, respectively. Divergence time and population history analyses of these species reveal that their speciation and population dynamics are correlated with the different stages of uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We carried out comparative analyses of these genomes and found that many genetic changes, such as gene loss (e.g. opsin genes), pseudogenes (e.g. crystallin genes), mutations (e.g. melanogenesis-related genes), deletions (e.g. scale-related genes) and down-regulation (e.g. circadian rhythm pathway genes), are possibly associated with the regressive features (such as eye degeneration, albinism, rudimentary scales and lack of circadian rhythms), and that some gene expansion (e.g. taste-related transcription factor gene) may point to the constructive features (such as enhanced taste buds) which evolved in these cave fishes. CONCLUSION: As the first report on cavefish genomes among distinct species in Sinocyclocheilus, our work provides not only insights into genetic mechanisms of cave adaptation, but also represents a fundamental resource for a better understanding of cavefish biology. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-015-0223-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Putative DHHC-Cysteine-Rich Domain S-Acyltransferase in Plants

Protein S-acyltransferases (PATs) containing Asp-His-His-Cys within a Cys-rich domain (DHHC-CRD) are polytopic transmembrane proteins that are found in eukaryotic cells and mediate the S-acylation of target proteins. S-acylation is an important secondary and reversible modification that regulates the membrane association, trafficking and function of target proteins. However, little is known about the characteristics of PATs in plants. Here, we identified 804 PATs from 31 species with complete genomes. The analysis of the phylogenetic relationships suggested that all of the PATs fell into 8 groups. In addition, we analysed the phylogeny, genomic organization, chromosome localisation and expression pattern of PATs in Arabidopsis, Oryza sative, Zea mays and Glycine max. The microarray data revealed that PATs genes were expressed in different tissues and during different life stages. The preferential expression of the ZmPATs in specific tissues and the response of Zea mays to treatments with phytohormones and abiotic stress demonstrated that the PATs play roles in plant growth and development as well as in stress responses. Our data provide a useful reference for the identification and functional analysis of the members of this protein family

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages