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Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted transmission has become a novel concept for future wireless communications. The multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-based RIS-assisted Alamouti (RIS-Alamouti) scheme has been recently proposed in the literature. The RIS-Alamouti scheme models the conventional Alamouti scheme with two transmit antennas and receive antennas. In this paper, we propose a novel MIMO-based scheme, hereinafter referred to as the N -ary RIS-assisted Alamouti ( N -RIS-Alamouti) scheme. In the proposed N -RIS-Alamouti scheme, additional information bits can be conveyed by transmitting a pair of N -ary phase shift keying ( N PSK) symbols in one of two transmit antennas over four time slots. The pair of N PSK symbols can be regarded as one channel’s additional phase component over four time slots. The proposed N -RIS-Alamouti scheme not only preserves the error performance of the RIS-Alamouti scheme but also enhances its spectral efficiency; hence, it allows the transmission of a larger number of bits per channel use without trading off on reliability. The achievable order N of the N -RIS-Alamouti scheme increases as the number of receive antennas increase meaning that a larger spectral efficiency is achievable for a larger number of receive antennas. Simulation results show that at a bit error rate (BER) of , the proposed 128-RIS-Alamouti and 256-RIS-Alamouti with 64-ary phase shift keying and 64 reflector elements achieve the BER performance of the RIS-Alamouti for two and three receive antennas, respectively. Equivalently, an additional 7 bits and 8 bits are transmitted in four time slots, respectively.

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) generalised spatial modulation (GSM) systems represent a pivotal advancement in wireless communication technology. These systems have unlocked the potential for enhanced data rates and enhanced error performance ( EP ). Therefore, this research delves into a strategy aimed at elevating the EP within MIMO-GSM systems. This strategy involves the integration of MIMO-GSM systems with both generalised quadrature spatial modulation (GQSM) and the concept of labelling diversity (LD). Two schemes namely multiple active antenna generalised spatial modulation with labelling diversity (MAA-GSM-LD) and generalised complex quadrature spatial modulation with labelling diversity (GCQSM-LD) are proposed. The first scheme is MAA-GSM-LD, which builds on conventional generalised spatial modulation (C-GSM) by incorporating it with multiple active antennas and optimised labelling maps that have a maximised minimum product distance ( M-MPD ) between constellations. This M-MPD helps improve detection, thereby improving the EP of MIMO-GSM schemes. Four symbols are sent simultaneously per time slot in MAA-GSM-LD. The second scheme (GCQSM-LD), builds on MAA-GSM-LD by splitting the four symbols created in MAA-GSM-LD into the quadrature and in-phase dimensions, thereby avoiding inter-antenna synchronisation and improving the EP of MIMO-SM systems. In this study, analytical mathematical expressions were developed to determine both the union-bound and upper-bound average bit error rate ( ABER ) for the MAA-GSM-LD and GCQSM-LD schemes. These evaluations were conducted over independent and identically distributed Rayleigh frequency-flat fading channels. Monte Carlo simulations were utilised to validate the accuracy of these expressions. The findings suggest that as the signal-to-noise ratio ( SNR ) increases, the average bit error probability ( ABEP ) closely approximates the outcomes of the simulations. Moreover, the simulation results indicate enhancements in the EP of both MAA-GSM-LD and GCQSM-LD schemes compared to various MIMO-SM schemes such as generalised complex quadrature spatial modulation (GCQSM) and generalised SM multiplexing two symbols (MIMO-GSM) while maintaining the same spectral efficiency ( SE ). For MAA-GSM-LD, an improvement in the EP of 1.0 dB with an SE of 11 bits / s / Hz is seen in MAA-GSM-LD C-16-QAM over GQSM C-16-QAM and 4.3 dB over Golden codeword-GSM-C-64QAM. For GCQSM-LD, an improvement in the EP of 4.7 dB with an SE of 14 bits / s / Hz is seen in GCQSM-LD C-16-QAM over GCQSM-C-64-QAM and 3.7 dB over Generalised quadrature spatial modulation with antenna grouping (GQSM-AG)-C-32QAM.

To obtain new insights into the mechanisms of the positive effects of exogenous melatonin applications to cucumber seedlings during chilling, we investigated its role in regulating photosynthesis, the transcription level of csZat12 and the metabolism of polyamines (PAs) and of abscisic acid (ABA). The negative effects of chilling were clearly alleviated in cucumber seedlings by irrigation with 200 μM melatonin solution. This was evidenced by alleviation of the decline in net photosynthesis rate and also in electrolyte leakage in chilled plants. The reasons for this can be explained as follows. First, melatonin up-regulates CsZat12 , an important stress-related gene. Second, melatonin increases the content of putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) and stabilized spermine (Spm) by altering the activity of the PA metabolic enzymes. And, third, ABA is also involved in these effects as melatonin modulated the expression of the key ABA biosynthesis genes ( CsNCED1 and CsNCED2 ) and also the key ABA catabolism genes ( CsCYP707A1 and CsCYP707A2 ). This study provides new evidence suggesting melatonin mitigates chilling stress in cucumber by up-regulating the expression of CsZat12 and by modulating the metabolism of PAs and ABA.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative disorder that severely impacts quality of life due to pain and disability. Although the pathophysiology of OA remains incompletely understood, recent research highlights the role of synovial inflammation in OA onset and progression, driven primarily by inflammatory infiltrates, especially macrophages, in the synovium. These macrophages respond to the local microenvironment, polarizing into either pro‐inflammatory (M1) or anti‐inflammatory (M2) subtypes. This review focuses on the role of macrophage polarization in OA pathogenesis and treatment, emphasizing how M1/M2 polarization is influenced by pathways such as STAT, NF‐κB, caspase, and MAPK. These pathways induce low‐grade inflammation within OA‐affected joints, altering chondrocyte metabolism, inhibiting cartilage repair, and impairing mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis, thereby contributing to OA progression. Additionally, this review discusses potential therapies targeting macrophage polarization, encompassing compounds, proteins, cells, and microRNAs, to offer insights into novel treatment strategies for OA. M1 macrophage polarization is responsible for the etiology and progression of OA.

Background Despite its known significance in plant abiotic stress responses, the role of the RAV gene family in the response of Capsicum annuum to chilling stress remains largely unexplored. Results In this study, we identified and characterized six members of the CaRAV gene subfamily in pepper plants through genome-wide analysis. Subsequently, the CaRAV subfamily was classified into four branches based on homology with Arabidopsis thaliana , each exhibiting relatively conserved domains within the branch. We discovered that light response elements accounted for the majority of CaRAVs , whereas low-temperature response elements were specific to the NGA gene subfamily. After pepper plants were subjected to chilling stress, qRT‒PCR analysis revealed that CaRAV1 , CaRAV2 and CaNGA1 were significantly induced in response to chilling stress, indicating that CaRAVs play a role in the response to chilling stress. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vectors, we targeted key members of the CaRAV gene family. Under normal growth conditions, the MDA content and SOD enzyme activity of the silenced plants were slightly greater than those of the control plants, and the REC activity was significantly greater than that of the control plants. The levels of MDA and electrolyte leakage were greater in the silenced plants after they were exposed to chilling stress, and the POD and CAT enzyme activities were significantly lower than those in the control, which was particularly evident under repeated chilling stress. In addition, the relative expression of CaPOD and CaCAT was greater in V2 plants upon repeated chilling stress, especially CaCAT was significantly greater in V2 plants than in the other two silenced plants, with 3.29 and 1.10 increases within 12 and 24 h. These findings suggest that CaRAV1 and CaNGA1 positively regulate the response to chilling stress. Conclusions Silencing of key members of the CaRAV gene family results in increased susceptibility to chilling damage and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity in plants, particularly under repeated chilling stress. This study provides valuable information for understanding the classification and putative functions of RAV transcription factors in pepper plants.

Motivated to enhance the error performance ( EP ) of generalised complex quadrature spatial modulation (GCQSM) systems, this study proposes a scheme that builds on GCQSM and uses hexagonal quadrature amplitude modulation (H-QAM) constellations which have the advantages of a maximised Euclidean distance with relatively low peak-to-average power ratio, compared to conventional QAM (C-QAM) systems. This in turn, leads to an enhancement of the EP of GCQSM schemes. The proposed scheme utilises a rotated hexagonal 8QAM (H-8QAM) set. Thus, the proposed scheme is herein named; Generalised QSM using H-8QAM (GQSM-H-8QAM). In this study, the EP of the proposed GQSM-H-8QAM scheme is investigated over Rayleigh frequency flat-fading channels with additive white Gaussian noise. Additionally, a theoretical average bit error probability ( ABEP ) expression of the GQSM-H-8QAM scheme is formulated and validated using Monte Carlo simulations. Compared to simulation results, the ABEP proves to be increasingly tight at high signal-to-noise ratio values. Obtained simulation results also show an improvement in the EP of the GQSM-H-8QAM scheme over various SM schemes like GCQSM, C-QSM and conventional-generalized spatial modulation (C-GSM), at the same spectral efficiency ( SE ). An improvement in the EP of 0.61 dB with SE of 8 bits/s/Hz is seen in 4 × 4 GQSM-H-8QAM over 4 × 4 GCQSM using C-8QAM, 2.58 dB over 4 × 4 C-QSM-C-64QAM and a gain of 4.85 dB over 4 × 4 C-GSM-C-64QAM.

Ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling are two coupling regimes rich in intriguing physical phenomena. Recently, hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as promising candidates for exploring these regimes, owing to their unique advantages in quantum engineering. However, because of the relatively weak coupling between magnons and other quasiparticles, ultrastrong coupling is predominantly realized at cryogenic temperatures, while deep-strong coupling remains to be explored. In our work, we achieve both theoretical and experimental realization of room-temperature ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling in synthetic antiferromagnets with intrinsic asymmetry of magnetic anisotropy. Unlike most ultrastrong coupling systems, where the counter-rotating coupling strength g 2 is strictly equal to the co-rotating coupling strength g 1 , our systems allow for highly tunable g 1 and g 2 . This high degree of freedom also enables the realization of normalized g 1 or g 2 larger than 0.5. Particularly, our experimental findings reveal that the maximum observed g 1 is nearly identical to the bare frequency, with g 1 / ω 0  = 0.963, indicating a close realization of deep-strong coupling within our hybrid magnonic systems. Our results highlight synthetic antiferromagnets as platforms for exploring unconventional ultrastrong and even deep-strong coupling regimes, facilitating the further exploration of quantum phenomena. Deep-strong coupling in hybrid magnonic systems is yet to be explored. Here, the authors unveil unconventional coupling properties in synthetic antiferromagnets. The systems’ high degree of freedom enables a near-realization of deep-strong coupling.

Flour color influences the quality of end-use products of common wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). To analyze the genetic basis of flour color, the flour brightness (FL*), red-green level (Fa*), yellow-blue level (Fb*), and whiteness (W) of 341 winter wheat materials grown during the 2019–2020 years and 2020–2021 years in Emin and Qitai were measured. A genome-wide association study was conducted using a wheat 40 K breeding chip with the MLM model. The coefficient of variation and generalized heritability of wheat flour color traits ranged from 0.62% to 22.23% and 55.52% to 83.48%, respectively. There were strong correlations across the flour color traits. GWAS identified 20 significant and stable SNP markers distributed across 16 loci, including 1 for FL* located on chromosome 5D; 6 for Fa*, located on chromosomes 1 A, 5 A, 1B (2), 6B, and 4D; 6 for Fb*, located on chromosomes 2 A (2), 4 A, 4B, 6B, and 5D; and 3 for W, located on chromosomes 2 A, 4 A, and 5D. Two KASP markers were developed for Fa*, which exhibited good genotype and significant phenotypic differences among materials with different genotypes. Seven candidate genes that may affect flour color during grain development were screened, including TraesCS5D02G01340.1 , TraesCS5D02G013100 , and TraesCS5D02G014300.1 on the 5D chromosome may simultaneously influence W, FL*, and Fa*, TraesCS1B02G269100.1 and TraesCS1B02G269500.1 on the 1B chromosome may impact Fa*, while TraesCS4A02G307200 and TraesCS6B02G034100.1 on the 4 A and 6B chromosomes may affect Fb*.The results provide useful information to enhance the color quality of wheat flour in wheat.

Background Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a significant cereal crop that plays a vital role in global food production. To expedite the breeding of wheat cultivars with high protein quality, it is necessary to genetically analyze the traits related to quality. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify the genomic regions responsible for protein quality traits in winter wheat. Results Six protein quality traits were evaluated across two locations and two years for a total of 341 wheat accessions. Utilizing the wheat 40 K SNP array, GWAS identified 97 significantly stable SNPs at 43 loci for five out of six protein quality traits using a linear mixed model. The 43 loci distribution was four for grain protein content, two for flour protein content, one for wet gluten content, four for gluten index, and thirty-two for Zeleny sedimentation value. The most significant associations were identified on chromosomes 1 A, 1B, and 1D. Haplotype analysis of loci associated with the gluten index in the 412–416 Mb interval on chromosome 1D identified three blocks. Accessions with superior haplotypes showed a significantly higher gluten index than those with inferior haplotypes. Six KASP markers were successfully developed for the gluten index, while five KASP markers were developed for the Zeleny sedimentation value. Additionally, eight candidate genes were identified that may affect protein accumulation during grain development. Conclusions Our study identified 97 SNPs significantly associated with protein quality traits; developed 6 KASP markers for gluten index, and 5 KASP markers for Zeleny sedimentation values; screened 8 candidate genes that may be related to protein quality during grain development. Thise research will offer valuable insights for wheat breeding programs in China and globally.

The discovery of magnetic order in atomically-thin van der Waals materials has strengthened the alliance between spintronics and two-dimensional materials. An important use of magnetic two-dimensional materials in spintronic devices, which has not yet been demonstrated, would be for coherent spin injection via the spin-pumping effect. Here, we report spin pumping from Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 into Pt or W and detection of the spin current by inverse spin Hall effect. The magnetization dynamics of the hybrid Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 /Pt system are measured, and a magnetic damping constant of ~ 4–10 × 10 −4 is obtained for thick Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 flakes, a record low for ferromagnetic van der Waals materials. Moreover, a high interface spin transmission efficiency (a spin mixing conductance of 2.4 × 10 19 /m 2 ) is directly extracted, which is instrumental in delivering spin-related quantities such as spin angular momentum and spin-orbit torque across an interface of the van der Waals system. The low magnetic damping that promotes efficient spin current generation together with high interfacial spin transmission efficiency suggests promising applications for integrating Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 into low-temperature two-dimensional spintronic devices as the source of coherent spin or magnon current. Spin-pumping experimental technique where a DC or AC spin current is generated, and typically transferred to a heavy metal layer where it can be detected via electrical measurements. While well established in conventional materials, coherent spin-pumping in van der Waals magnetic materials is challenging due to the low damping and high-quality interface requirements. Here, Xu et al demonstrate coherent spin pumping in the van der Waals magnet Cr2Ge2Te6.