Direct Modulation Research Articles

Propionate alleviates itch in murine models of atopic dermatitis by modulating sensory TRP channels of dorsal root ganglion.

Itch is the most common symptom of atopic dermatitis (AD) and significantly decreases the quality of life. Skin microbiome is involved in AD pathogenesis, whereas its role in the regulation of itch remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of skin microbial metabolite propionate on acute and chronic pruritus and to explore the mechanism. Using various mouse models of itch, the roles of propionate were explored by behavioral tests and histopathology/immunofluorescent analysis. Primary-cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons and HEK293 cells expressing recombinant human TRP channels were utilized for invitro calcium imaging/in vivo miniature two-photon imaging in combination with electrophysiology and molecular docking approaches for investigation of the mechanism. Propionate significantly alleviated itch and alloknesis in various mouse models of pruritus and AD and decreased the density of intraepidermal nerve fibers. Propionate reduced the responsiveness of dorsal root ganglion neurons to pruritogens invitro, attenuated the hyper-excitability in sensory neurons in MC903-induced AD model, and inhibited capsaicin-evoked hTRPV1 currents (IC50 = 20.08 ± 1.11 μM) via interacting with the vanilloid binding site. Propionate also decreased the secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide by nerves in MC903-induced AD mouse model, which further attenuated itch and skin inflammation. Our study revealed a protective effect of propionate against persistent itch through direct modulation of sensory TRP channels and neuropeptide production in neurons. Regulation of itch via the skin microbiome might be a novel strategy for the treatment of AD.

Physical Layer Security for Near-Field Communications via Directional Modulation

Physical Layer Security for Near-Field Communications via Directional Modulation

Directional Modulation With Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface: System Design and Real-World Demonstration

Directional Modulation With Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface: System Design and Real-World Demonstration

Enabling Low Sidelobe Secret Multicast Transmission for mmWave Communication: An Integrated Oblique Projection Approach

The protection of multicast transmission with optimized secrecy in millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication is still an open problem. In this paper, we propose a low sidelobe secret multicast transmission scheme in mmWave communication based on physical layer security techniques. By utilizing oblique projection, we jointly adopt the directional modulation (DM) and the artificial noise (AN) to achieve secret multicast transmission at low computational costs, without jeopardizing the low sidelobe transmitting pattern. Specifically, considering the constraint of multibeam with the channel knowledge of all target users, a primary transmitting weight vector of the base station (BS) is designed to achieve a low sidelobe transmitting pattern. Then, in each symbol period, the transmitting weight vector of the BS is updated by performing a linear transformation on the primary weight vector with a transformation matrix, which is obtained from the oblique projection matrices of all the target users’ channel vectors. In this way, without deteriorating the primary weight vector’s low sidelobe transmitting pattern, the obtained transmitting weight vector synthesizes the expected symbols at the target users and adds randomness to the eavesdroppers at undesired directions. Finally, the simulations demonstrate that our proposed scheme achieves outstanding communication performance for the target users at low computational costs, while keeping the high symbol error rates at the undesired directions.

Optical enhancement of perovskite solar cells by metallic nano-patterns

The integration of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) with plasmonic effects is an alternate approach for managing photons and charge carriers, and is considered a promising method for advancing solar cell technologies. Plasmonic-enhanced solar energy harvesting involves three mechanisms: hot-electron injection, light trapping, and modulation of energy flow direction through dipole-dipole coupling. These phenomena have been observed to significantly enhance the performance of silicon, gallium arsenide, dye-sensitized, and organic solar cells. However, for emerging perovskite solar cells, the light trapping effect, specifically, the far-field scattering via MNPs, has been seldom reported. The anomalous phenomenon is primarily attributed to the size constraints imposed on MNPs by the thickness of the functional layers in cell devices. According to the theory of localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR), the characteristic size of the MNPs needs to be larger than 90 nm to achieve optimal photon scattering. Conversely, charge transport layers like NiO<sub>x</sub> and SnO<sub>2</sub> in perovskite solar cells are typically thin, ranging from a few to several tens of nanometers in thickness. Therefore, the community of perovskite solar cells still faces a great challenge in harvesting light through plasmonic scattering.<br>Compared to MNPs, the shape, size, periodicity, and other characteristic parameters of two-dimensional metal patterns within the horizontal plane are not limited by the thickness of the device's functional layer, thus enabling a more flexible regulation of the SPR response band, vibration intensity, and dissipation method of plasmonic energy. In this study, based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), we systematically investigated the SPR spectra of different metal patterns. The results demonstrate that by optimizing characteristic parameters such as pattern shape, thickness, and periodicity, a significant SPR phenomenon can be observed in the near-infrared region, with scattering dominating over extinction. For the optimal metal ring pattern, the SPR peak corresponds to a wavelength of 772 nm, with relative absorption, scattering, and extinction cross-sections of 0.54, 1.39, and 1.93, respectively. The weighted average absorption of the perovskite response layer in the range of 700-850 nm increased from 53.61% to 65.36%. Correspondingly, the photocurrent density of the device increased from 20.39 to 22.72 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency was relatively improved by 11.45%. This research provides a novel path for light trapping design in perovskite solar cells in the near-infrared region, and serves as a "spectrum-based" reference for SPR regulation in other similar devices.

Demonstration of Reservoir Computing using Optoelectronic Oscillators with Direct Laser Modulation

Demonstration of Reservoir Computing using Optoelectronic Oscillators with Direct Laser Modulation

Direct High-Frequency Modulation of a Quantum Cascade Laser for High-Sensitivity Molecular Dispersion Spectroscopy at Ambient Pressure

Direct High-Frequency Modulation of a Quantum Cascade Laser for High-Sensitivity Molecular Dispersion Spectroscopy at Ambient Pressure

Biochar regulates the functions of keystone taxa to reduce p-coumaric acid accumulation in soil.

Applying biochar (BC) to reduce toxic substance accumulation in soil, either through direct adsorption or modulation of the microbial community, has received considerable attention. However, a knowledge gap exists regarding how BC regulates microbial community structure and functions to mitigate toxic substance accumulation. We previously identified p-coumaric acid (p-CA) as a representative autotoxin in tobacco rhizosphere soil. On this basis, this study simulated a soil environment with p-CA accumulation to investigate the impacts of BC on p-CA, soil physicochemical properties, and microbial community structure and function. The results showed that p-CA could be directly adsorbed onto BC, which followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R 2 = 0.996). A pot experiment revealed that BC significantly reduced soil p-CA, altered soil microbial composition, and enhanced bacterial community diversity. A weighted correlation network analysis showed a close association between taxon 1 in the microbial network and p-CA, suggesting a pivotal role for this taxon in reducing p-CA, with Devosia and Nocardioides identified as potential key contributors to this process. The prediction of possible keystone taxa functions showed that BC increased the relative abundances of aromatic compound degraders. Mantel tests indicated that soil organic matter exerted the greatest influence on keystone taxa functions and hub genera. These findings suggest that BC may either directly chemisorb p-CA or indirectly facilitate p-CA degradation by regulating the functioning of keystone taxa. The results of this study provide a novel perspective for further investigation of the mechanisms through which BC reduces the accumulation of toxic substances in soil.

Development of Resin Insulation Structure for 1,200 V Class Double-Sided Direct Cooling Power Module for Electric Vehicle

Development of Resin Insulation Structure for 1,200 V Class Double-Sided Direct Cooling Power Module for Electric Vehicle

Joint Power Allocation and Beamforming Design for Active IRS-Aided Secure Directional Modulation Systems

Joint Power Allocation and Beamforming Design for Active IRS-Aided Secure Directional Modulation Systems

Real-time capture of nuclear motions influencing photoinduced electron transfer.

Although vibronic coupling phenomena have been recognized in the excite state dynamics of transition metal complexes, its impact on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) remains largely unexplored. This study investigates coherent wavepacket (CWP) dynamics during PET processes in a covalently linked electron donor-acceptor complex featuring a cyclometalated Pt(ii) dimer as the donor and naphthalene diimide (NDI) as the acceptors. Upon photoexciting the Pt(ii) dimer electron donor, ultrafast broadband transient absorption spectroscopy revealed direct modulation of NDI radical anion formation through certain CWP motions and correlated temporal evolutions of the amplitudes for these CWPs with the NDI radical anion formation. These results provide clear evidence that the CWP motions are the vibronic coherences coupled to the PET reaction coordinates. Normal mode analysis identified that the CWP motions originate from vibrational modes associated with the dihedral angles and bond lengths between the planes of the cyclometalating ligand and the NDI, the key modes altering their π-interaction, consequently influencing PET dynamics. The findings highlight the pivotal role of vibrations in shaping the favorable trajectories for the efficient PET processes.

Identification and characterization of CHD4-associated eRNA as a novel modulator of fetal hemoglobin levels in β-thalassemia

Fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switching is controlled by programmed silencing of γ-globin while the re-activation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is an effective strategy for ameliorating the clinical severity of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. The identification of enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) related to the fetal (α2γ2) to adult hemoglobin (α2β2) switching remains incomplete. In this study, the transcriptomes of GYPA+ cells from six β-thalassemia patients with extreme HbF levels were sequenced to identify differences in patterns of noncoding RNA expression. It is interesting that an enhancer upstream of CHD4, an HbF-related core subunit of the NuRD complex, was differentially transcribed. We found a significantly positive correlation of eRNA-CHD4 enhancer-gene interaction using the public database of FANTOM5. Specifically, the eRNA-CHD4 expression was found to be significantly higher in both CD34+ HSPCs and HUDEP-2 than those in K562 cells which commonly expressed high level of HbF, suggesting a correlation between eRNA and HbF expression. Furthermore, prediction of transcription binding sites of cis-eQTLs and the CHD4 genomic region revealed a putative interaction site between rs73264846 and ZNF410, a known transcription factor regulating HbF expression. Moreover, in-vitro validation showed that the inhibition of eRNA could reduce the expression of HBG expression in HUDEP-2 cells. Taken together, the findings of this study demonstrate that a distal enhancer contributes to stage-specific silencing of γ-globin genes through direct modulation of CHD4 expression and provide insights into the epigenetic mechanisms of NuRD-mediated hemoglobin switching.

Plasma-assisted fabrication of ultra-dispersed copper oxides in and on C-rich carbon nitride as functional composites for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Significant efforts have been continuously devoted to the mastering of green catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), whose sluggish kinetics prevents a broad market penetration of water splitting as a sustainable route for large-scale hydrogen production. In this extensive scenario, carbon nitride (CN)-based systems are in focus thanks to their favorable characteristics, and, whereas graphitic CN has been largely investigated, the potential of amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) systems remains almost entirely unexplored. In this regard, our study presents a novel two-step plasma-assisted route to a-CNx systems comprising ultra-dispersed, i.e. "quasi-atomic" CuxO (x = 1, 2). The target materials were fabricated using an original strategy consisting in the magnetron sputtering of a-CNx on conducting glasses at room temperature, followed by functionalization with low CuxO amounts by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering, and final annealing under an inert atmosphere. The tailoring of the CuxO co-catalyst content and spatial dispersion, as well as the overall composite features as a function of preparative conditions, enabled a direct modulation of the resulting OER performances, rationalized based on the formation of p-n CuxO/a-CNx heterojunctions. The amenable and scalable synthesis approach underscores the practicality of this method to develop (photo)electrocatalysts synergistically integrating the advantages of both constituents, yielding low-cost, green, and stable functional platforms that could contribute to the broader adoption of sustainable energy solutions.

Multi-Stream Transmission for Directional Modulation Network via Distributed Multi-UAV-Aided Multi-Active-IRS

Multi-Stream Transmission for Directional Modulation Network via Distributed Multi-UAV-Aided Multi-Active-IRS

Security-Enhanced Directional Modulation Symbol Synthesis Using High Efficiency Time-Modulated Arrays

Security-Enhanced Directional Modulation Symbol Synthesis Using High Efficiency Time-Modulated Arrays

Artificial Noise aided Directional Modulation: A Transmitter Architecture Perspective

Artificial Noise aided Directional Modulation: A Transmitter Architecture Perspective

Hypothalamic P62 (SQSTM1) regulates energy balance by modulating leptin signaling.

The multifaceted functions of p62 (SQSTM1) are increasingly recognized, but its role in hypothalamic metabolism-associated neurons for energy balance has yet to be elucidated. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-Seq) was performed on hypothalamic tissues from db/db and db/m mice to explore p62 expression. Overexpression and knockout of p62 in hypothalamic POMC neurons were performed via AAV-mediated gene delivery and Cre-loxP systems. Metabolic outcomes were assessed under normal chow (NCD) and high-fat diet (HFD) conditions. The co-immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were used to investigate the interaction between p62 and STAT3. The snRNA-Seq analysis found that p62 was ubiquitously expressed in hypothalamic neurons, with significantly higher levels in POMC neurons of db/db mice compared to db/m controls. Under NCD or HFD conditions, the absence of p62 in POMC neurons led to increased body weight, decreased energy expenditure and leptin sensitivity, while its overexpression in POMC neurons produced the opposite phenotype. Mechanistically, p62 interacts with STAT3, facilitating its phosphorylation to initiate POMC transcription and amplify leptin sensitivity. This study demonstrated the capacity of p62 to monogenically regulate the obesity phenotype and emphasized its dual role in managing energy homeostasis through direct modulation of STAT3/POMC signaling and amplification of leptin sensitivity.

Power Allocation and Beamforming Design for IRS-Aided Secure Directional Modulation Networks

Power Allocation and Beamforming Design for IRS-Aided Secure Directional Modulation Networks

Variation of translation reception of Q. Tarantino’s film discourse

Within the framework of the article, the phenomenon of variability of translation reception of Q. Tarantino’s film discourse is considered. The authors conduct a comparative analysis of translation solutions used by the Russian-speaking translators as part of their work on Q. Tarantino’s films when transmitting significant elements of the author’s idiostyle. The focus is on the analysis of variability and evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the Russian-language translations of the film discourse of this director, which together make up the translation reception of his film works. The research methods include the continuous selection method, the method of contextual analysis, the method of functional semantic analysis, descriptive method, the method of contextual analysis, the method of interpretation of the film text, as well as methods of quantitative calculation. The original film texts of Q. Tarantino’s English-language films “Pulp Fiction”, “Inglourious Basterds”, “The Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood” and their translations into the Russian language have served as the material for the study. The authors analyze the film dialogues and films by Q. Tarantino as the main means of nonverbal and verbal representation of his idiostyle. It is argued that the films by Q. Tarantino are a significant example for the study of some aspects of translation reception into the Russian language due to the presence of a large layer of intertextual component in these works. It is emphasized that the interpretation of a literary text involves projecting the translator’s worldview onto the conceptual sphere of the translated work, as a result of which the latter becomes a co-author of the script. After analyzing the empirical material, the authors conclude that, regardless of the time of the release of the film, translators most often resort to such translation methods, as direct translation, modulation and addition, broadcasting numerous lexical, stylistic and pragmatic-semantic features of Q. Tarantino’s film discourse. Thanks to the development of information and telecommunication technologies and as translators gain more access to information, there are opportunities for improving the quality of translations due to the expansion of background knowledge in the field of pop-cultural and historical realia of the original linguaculture, actualized in the original film discourse.

Biomechanical response of ultrathin slices of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy tissue to myosin modulator mavacamten

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited myocardial disorder of the heart, but effective treatment options remain limited. Mavacamten, a direct myosin modulator, has been presented as novel pharmacological therapy for HCM. The aim of this study was to analyze the biomechanical response of HCM tissue to Mavacamten using living myocardial slices (LMS). LMS (n = 58) from patients with HCM (n = 10) were cultured under electromechanical stimulation, and Verapamil and Mavacamten were administered on consecutive days to evaluate their effects on cardiac biomechanics. Mavacamten and Verapamil reduced contractile force and dF/dt and increased time-to-relaxation in a similar manner. Yet, the time-to-peak of the cardiac contraction was prolonged after administration of Mavacamten (221.0 ms (208.8 – 236.3) vs. 237.7 (221.0 – 254.7), p = 0.004). In addition, Mavacamten prolonged the functional refractory period (FRP) (330 ms (304 − 351) vs. 355 ms (313 − 370), p = 0.023) and better preserved twitch force with increasing stimulation frequencies, compared to Verapamil. As such, Mavacamten reduced (hyper-)contractility and prolonged contraction duration of HCM LMS, suggesting a reduction in cardiac wall stress. Also, Mavacamten might protect against the development of ventricular tachyarrhythmias due to prolongation of the FRP, and improve toleration of tachycardia due to better preservation of twitch force at tachycardiac stimulation frequencies.