Delay Minimization in RIS-Assisted URLLC Systems under Reliability Constraints

The ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) systems are expected to support the stringent quality of service (QoS) demands in the Internet of Things (IoT) networks. In order to support the strict latency and reliability constraints, it is preferable to deploy a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) in the URLLC systems to improve the link quality. In this paper, we focus on the uplink of an RIS-assisted URLLC system, and we propose to minimize the transmission latency under the reliability constraints. To solve the non-convex problem, a low-complexity algorithm is proposed by using the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) technique. The RIS phase shifts optimization, which is typically non-convex, is efficiently solved by formulating as a Quadratically Constrained Quadratic Programming (QCQP) problem. Simulation results verify that our proposed ADMM-based method is able to achieve better performance than the conventional semi-definite relaxation (SDR)-based method with lower computational complexity. Our proposed RIS-assisted URLLC system is able to significantly reduce the transmission latency, which highlights the great potential in deploying RIS in the IoT networks with strict reliability requirements

Lagrange Optimization of Shock Waves for Two-Dimensional Hypersonic Inlet with Geometric Constraints

The present paper focuses on the Lagrange optimization of shock waves for a two-dimensional hypersonic inlet by limiting the cowl internal angle and inlet length. The results indicate the significant influences of geometric constraints on the configuration of shock waves and performances of an inlet. Specifically, the cowl internal angle mainly affects the internal compression section; the inlet length affects both the internal and external compression sections where the intensity of internal and external compression shock waves shows a deviation of equal. In addition, the performances of optimized inlets at off-design points are further numerically simulated. A prominent discovery is that a longer inlet favors a higher total pressure recovery at the positive AOA; conversely, a shorter inlet can increase the total pressure recovery at the negative AOA

Fluid-structure interaction-based aerodynamic modeling for flight dynamics simulation of parafoil system

Prediction of aerodynamic force is a crucial issue for parafoil canopy as the strong nonlinear fluid-structure interaction (FSI) between the flexible canopy material and flow field. Flight tests and wind tunnel experiments are difficult to analyze the aerodynamics of parafoil because of the limitation and difficulty of data measurement in an unknown environment. The objective of this study was to computationally derive the aerodynamic characteristics of parafoil, as an alternative to expensive and unrepeatable test regimes. Different from previous works that assume canopy structure as a rigid body and serve for the design of parafoil, this study focused on the precise dynamic modeling of parafoil based on FSI simulations. To investigate the aerodynamic performance of the full-scale canopy with stabilizers for better control, the strong coupling FSI simulations were performed using the incompressible computational fluid dynamics techniques. The highlight of this paper is to explore the effects of canopy inflation and trailing edge deflections on aerodynamic performance. Then the aerodynamic coefficients are identified by a linear regression method using the obtained database of high fidelity lift and drag forces. Furthermore, an accurate six-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of the parafoil system is implemented based on the estimated coefficients. Simulations are conducted to prove the dynamic stability of the model and the feasibility of trajectory tracking. At last, simulation results of basic motions are compared with airdrop testing data, which demonstrates that the established model is capable of accurately predicting the flight behaviors of the parafoil system

Chromatin remodelling factor BAF155 protects hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) from ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation

ABSTRACTHBx is a short-lived protein whose rapid turnover is mainly regulated by ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation pathways. Our prior work identified BAF155 to be one of the HBx binding partners. Since BAF155 has been shown to stabilize other members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex by attenuating their proteasomal degradation, we proposed that BAF155 might also contribute to stabilizing HBx protein in a proteasome-dependent manner. Here we report that BAF155 protected hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) from ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation by competing with the 20S proteasome subunit PSMA7 to bind to HBx. BAF155 was found to directly interact with HBx via binding of its SANT domain to the HBx region between amino acid residues 81 and 120. Expression of either full-length BAF155 or SANT domain increased HBx protein levels whereas siRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous BAF155 reduced HBx protein levels. Increased HBx stability and steady-state level by BAF155 were attributable to inhibition of ubiquitin-independent and PSMA7-mediated protein degradation. Consequently, overexpression of BAF155 enhanced the transcriptional transactivation function of HBx, activated protooncogene expression and inhibited hepatoma cell clonogenicity. These results suggest that BAF155 plays important roles in ubiquitin-independent degradation of HBx, which may be related to the pathogenesis and carcinogenesis of HBV-associated HCC

A hypoxia-derived gene signature to suggest cisplatin-based therapeutic responses in patients with cervical cancer

Cervical cancer remains a significant global public health concern, often exhibits cisplatin resistance in clinical settings. Hypoxia, a characteristic of cervical cancer, substantially contributes to cisplatin resistance. To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin in patients with cervical cancer and to identify potential effective drugs against cisplatin resistance, we established a hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-related risk score (HRRS) model using clinical data from patients treated with cisplatin. Cox and LASSO regression analyses were used to stratify patient risks and prognosis. Through qRT-PCR, we validated nine potential prognostic HIF-1 genes that successfully predict cisplatin responsiveness in patients and cell lines. Subsequently, we identified fostamatinib, an FDA-approved spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as a promising drug for targeting the HRRS-high group. We observed a positive correlation between the IC50 values of fostamatinib and HRRS in cervical cancer cell lines. Moreover, fostamatinib exhibited potent anticancer effects on high HRRS groups in vitro and in vivo. In summary, we developed a hypoxia-related gene signature that suggests cisplatin response prediction in cervical cancer and identified fostamatinib as a potential novel treatment approach for resistant cases

Identification of Styryl Sulfonyl Fluoride (SSF) as An Efficient, Robust and Irreversible Cysteine-specific Protein Bioconjugation Reagent

Cysteine (Cys)-specific bioconjugation has found wide application in the synthesis of protein conjugates, particularly for the functionalization of antibody. Here, through direct assessment on protein substrate, we report the discovery of trans-styryl sulfonyl fluoride (SSF) as a near perfect Michael acceptor (MA) for cysteine-specific protein bioconjugation. Com-pared to predominantly used maleimides, SSF exhibited better chemoselectivity, self-stability and conjugate-stability while kept comparable reactivity. Using SSF-derived probes, proteins can be readily modified on the Cys residue(s) to install functionalities, e.g., fluorescent dyes, toxins and oligonucleotides (oligos), without the influence of activity. Fur-ther applications of SSF derived serum stable antibody-drug conjugates and PD-L1 nanobody-oligo conjugates demon-strate the great translational value of SSF-based bioconjugation in the drug development and single-cell sequencing