On the Achievable Rates of Multihop Virtual Full-Duplex Relay Channels

We study a multihop "virtual" full-duplex relay channel as a special case of a general multiple multicast relay network. For such channel, quantize-map-and-forward (QMF) (or noisy network coding (NNC)) achieves the cut-set upper bound within a constant gap where the gap grows {\em linearly} with the number of relay stages $K$. However, this gap may not be negligible for the systems with multihop transmissions (i.e., a wireless backhaul operating at higher frequencies). We have recently attained an improved result to the capacity scaling where the gap grows {\em logarithmically} as $\log{K}$, by using an optimal quantization at relays and by exploiting relays' messages (decoded in the previous time slot) as side-information. In this paper, we further improve the performance of this network by presenting a mixed scheme where each relay can perform either decode-and-forward (DF) or QMF with possibly rate-splitting. We derive the achievable rate and show that the proposed scheme outperforms the QMF-optimized scheme. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this performance improvement increases with $K$.Comment: To be presented at ISIT 201

Tailor-made functionalized self-assembled peptide (nano)fibers and hydrogels, and methods, uses and kits related thereto

The invention relates to self-assembling peptide (nano)fibers, hydrogels, and methods, uses and intermediate products and kits relating thereto. Provided is a method for providing peptide-based functionally modified (nano)fibers, comprising (i) providing a fiber forming solution comprising pseudopeptide building blocks of the formula A-Peptide-B, wherein: Peptide is a moiety of 1 to 8 amino acid residues having a sequence that is predisposed to form a one-dimensional array, such as β-sheet fibrils; A is an aromatic moiety carrying two reactive thiol groups; and B is a reactive α-nucleophile; (ii) exposing the fiber forming solution to oxidizing conditions to induce supramolecular self-assembly of the pseudopeptide building blocks into peptide-based (nano)fibers; and (iii) contacting said (nano)fibers with at least one biologically relevant functional group of interest comprising reactivity C forming a reactive pair with B to obtain covalently functionally modified nanofibers