Cooperative Symbol-Based Signaling for Networks with Multiple Relays

Wireless channels suffer from severe inherent impairments and hence reliable and high data rate wireless transmission is particularly challenging to achieve. Fortunately, using multiple antennae improves performance in wireless transmission by providing space diversity, spatial multiplexing, and power gains. However, in wireless ad-hoc networks multiple antennae may not be acceptable due to limitations in size, cost, and hardware complexity. As a result, cooperative relaying strategies have attracted considerable attention because of their abilities to take advantage of multi-antenna by using multiple single-antenna relays. This study is to explore cooperative signaling for different relay networks, such as multi-hop relay networks formed by multiple single-antenna relays and multi-stage relay networks formed by multiple relaying stages with each stage holding several single-antenna relays. The main contribution of this study is the development of a new relaying scheme for networks using symbol-level modulation, such as binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK). We also analyze effects of this newly developed scheme when it is used with space-time coding in a multi-stage relay network. Simulation results demonstrate that the new scheme outperforms previously proposed schemes: amplify-and-forward (AF) scheme and decode-and-forward (DF) scheme

Numerical Investigation of Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics in Plate with Multiple Incline Stage Holes

In this paper, the effects of impingement and film composite cooling on the design of combustion chamber cooling structure are simulated by numerical simulation. The focus of the investigation was on increased film cooling efficiency and enhanced heat transfer between the coolant and the hole wall. The five-stage shaped hole model and one cylindrical hole design have the same equivalent flow area. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of cylindrical hole and stage-shaped hole were numerically investigated under same blowing ratio, and compared at the same blowing ratio. The results showed the stage-shaped hole resulted in higher cooling effectiveness, especially in rear part, and the mechanisms of which were studied in details. The consequences of the phase parameters in the flow have very clearly dependedt on the internal shape of the corresponding hole. Stage-shaped holes formed impact inside the wall, tapped the coolant potential in cooling, and increased the heat transfer inside the solid wall. Further, stage-shaped hole resulted in unstabilized flow inside hole, gave an enhancement of lateral spreading ability, and brought a significant increase of the film lateral effectiveness. Further, the affection of area ratio and height ratio has been studied by five models. The results show that the increasing of area ratio leads to an increase in cooling efficiency, which also indicates the increasing of height ratio showed slight affection

Moral Hazard and Transparency in Peer-to-Peer Auto Insurance with Telematics

Peer-to-peer (P2P) insurance uses new technology to connect policyholders and brings about disruptive innovation. While P2P insurance serving people with relatively high degrees of social connection, like friends and relatives, has been theoretically and practically underpinned, there is a lack of understanding about its viability or efficiency in serving strangers with few to no social ties as moral hazard may be substantial. In this paper, we bridge the gap by empirically measuring moral hazard in a P2P auto insurance where the insured individuals are strangers. Our research findings remove an obstacle that may hinder a broad application of the P2P insurance model among large groups of individuals. Moreover, we investigate factors that mitigate moral hazard and study the impact of transparency in premium balance on driving safety. We show that the transparency allows people to learn vicariously from peers’ lessons and lets them drive more safely

Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis for pinpointing recurrent alterations of plant homeodomain genes and their clinical significance in breast cancer

A wide range of the epigenetic effectors that regulate chromatin modification, gene expression, genomic stability, and DNA repair contain structurally conserved domains called plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers. Alternations of several PHD finger-containing proteins (PHFs) due to genomic amplification, mutations, deletions, and translocations have been linked directly to various types of cancer. However, little is known about the genomic landscape and the clinical significance of PHFs in breast cancer. Hence, we performed a large-scale genomic and transcriptomic analysis of 98 PHF genes in breast cancer using TCGA and METABRIC datasets and correlated the recurrent alterations with clinicopathological features and survival of patients. Different subtypes of breast cancer had different patterns of copy number and expression for each PHF. We identified a subset of PHF genes that was recurrently altered with high prevalence, including PYGO2 (pygopus family PHD finger 2), ZMYND8 (zinc finger, MYND-type containing 8), ASXL1 (additional sex combs like 1) and CHD3 (chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 3). Copy number increase and overexpression of ZMYND8 were more prevalent in Luminal B subtypes and were significantly associated with shorter survival of breast cancer patients. ZMYND8 was also involved in a positive feedback circuit of the estrogen receptor (ER) pathway, and the expression of ZMYND8 was repressed by the bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) inhibitor in breast cancer. Our findings suggest a promising avenue for future research—to focus on a subset of PHFs to better understand the molecular mechanisms and to identify therapeutic targets in breast cancer

Experimental investigation of flow and heat transfer characteristics on matrix ribbed channel

The effect of the rib width to height ratio t/e and width to pitch ratio t/p on the local heat transfer distribution in a rectangular matrix ribbed channel with two opposite in line o 45 ribs are experimentally investigated for Reynolds Numbers from 54000 to 150000. The rib height to channel height ratio e/H is 0.5, t/p and t/e both varies in range of 0.3-0.5. And to simulate the actually situation in turbine blades, and provide useful direct results for turbine blade designers, the parameters are same with the blade. The experiments results show that, in comparison to fully developed flow in a smooth pipe of equivalent hydraulic diameter, the Nusselt number inside the matrix-ribbed rectangular channel is increased up to 5 to 9 times higher, while total pressure drop is enlarged by up to significant magnitude. The Nusselt number ratio increases with t/p and t/e increased. Semi-empirical heat transfer is developed for designing of cooling channel

Chaperone Spy Protects Outer Membrane Proteins from Folding Stress via Dynamic Complex Formation

Gram-negative bacteria have a multicomponent and constitutively active periplasmic chaperone system to ensure the quality control of their outer membrane proteins (OMPs). Recently, OMPs have been identified as a new class of vulnerable targets for antibiotic development, and therefore a comprehensive understanding of OMP quality control network components will be critical for discovering antimicrobials. Here, we demonstrate that the periplasmic chaperone Spy protects certain OMPs against protein-unfolding stress and can functionally compensate for other periplasmic chaperones, namely Skp and FkpA, in the Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 strain. After extensive; in vivo; genetic experiments for functional characterization of Spy, we use nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopy to elucidate the mechanism by which Spy binds and folds two different OMPs. Along with holding OMP substrates in a dynamic conformational ensemble, Spy binding enables OmpX to form a partially folded β-strand secondary structure. The bound OMP experiences temperature-dependent conformational exchange within the chaperone, pointing to a multitude of local dynamics. Our findings thus deepen the understanding of functional compensation among periplasmic chaperones during OMP biogenesis and will promote the development of innovative antimicrobials against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria.; IMPORTANCE; Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) play critical roles in bacterial pathogenicity and provide a new niche for antibiotic development. A comprehensive understanding of the OMP quality control network will strongly impact antimicrobial discovery. Here, we systematically demonstrate that the periplasmic chaperone Spy has a role in maintaining the homeostasis of certain OMPs. Remarkably, Spy utilizes a unique chaperone mechanism to bind OmpX and allows it to form a partially folded β-strand secondary structure in a dynamic exchange of conformations. This mechanism differs from that of other E. coli periplasmic chaperones such as Skp and SurA, both of which maintain OMPs in disordered conformations. Our study thus deepens the understanding of the complex OMP quality control system and highlights the differences in the mechanisms of ATP-independent chaperones

Natural variation in the prolyl 4-hydroxylase gene PtoP4H9 contributes to perennial stem growth in Populus

Perennial trees must maintain stem growth throughout their entire lifespan to progressively increase in size as they age. The overarching question of the molecular mechanisms that govern stem perennial growth in trees remains largely unanswered. Here we deciphered the genetic architecture that underlies perennial growth trajectories using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for measures of growth traits across years in a natural population of Populus tomentosa. By analyzing the stem growth trajectory, we identified PtoP4H9, encoding prolyl 4-hydroxylase 9, which is responsible for the natural variation in the growth rate of diameter at breast height (DBH) across years. Quantifying the dynamic genetic contribution of PtoP4H9 loci to stem growth showed that PtoP4H9 played a pivotal role in stem growth regulation. Spatiotemporal expression analysis showed that PtoP4H9 was highly expressed in cambium tissues of poplars of various ages. Overexpression and knockdown of PtoP4H9 revealed that it altered cell expansion to regulate cell wall modification and mechanical characteristics, thereby promoting stem growth in Populus. We showed that natural variation in PtoP4H9 occurred in a BASIC PENTACYSTEINE transcription factor PtoBPC1-binding promoter element controlling PtoP4H9 expression. The geographic distribution of PtoP4H9 allelic variation was consistent with the modes of selection among populations. Altogether, our study provides important genetic insights into dynamic stem growth in Populus, and we confirmed PtoP4H9 as a potential useful marker for breeding or genetic engineering of poplars