Search Results (175)

In order to achieve the optimal stator–rotor combinations of conventional flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) machines, this paper proposes and analyzes a general principle with prime phase numbers. Based on the coil complementarity concept, the proposed methodology specifically addresses the phase symmetry of back electromotive force (back-EMF) and electromagnetic torque optimization, with comprehensive analysis conducted for two-phase, three-phase, and five-phase configurations. Firstly, the coil-EMF vectors and the concept of coil pairs of conventional FSPM machines are introduced. Then, based on the coil-EMF vectors, an analytical model determining the stator pole and rotor teeth combinations is proposed. Further, the combinations for conventional FSPM machines with prime phase numbers are synthesized and summarized on the basis of the results obtained by the proposed model. To validate the model and combination principles, the FSPM machines satisfying the principles have been verified to exhibit a symmetrical phase back-EMF waveform by finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments on prototypes. In addition, the winding factors of the conventional FSPM machines with different stator pole and rotor teeth combinations are calculated. Full article

Modular multiplication is a pivotal operation in public-key cryptosystems such as RSA, ElGamal, and ECC. Modular multiplication design is crucial for improving overall system performance due to the large-bit-width operation with high computational complexity. This paper provides a classification of integer multiplication algorithms based on their implementation principles. Furthermore, the core concepts, implementation challenges, and research advancements of multiplication algorithms are systematically summarized. This paper also gives a brief overview of modular reduction algorithms for various types of moduli and discusses the implementation principles, application scenarios, and current research results. Finally, the detailed research development of modular multiplication algorithms in four major classes over prime fields is deeply analyzed and summarized, making it essential as a guide for future research. Full article

In this paper, using the interleaving technique, we present a method for constructing M-ary sequences of length $4N$. We propose a new concept, referred to as the semi-interleaved sequence, based on some of the special cases of our construction. The period of these semi-interleaved sequences is $2N$, and their autocorrelations can be obtained in the same way as those of interleaved sequences. Applying the construction to certain known sequences, we obtain new quaternary sequences having period $2N$ where $N=4f+1$ is prime and f is an odd integer. The nontrivial autocorrelations of the new sequences are 2 and $-2$. From the autocorrelation distributions, we know that the new sequences cannot be obtained by previously known methods. Full article

Several attacks on the well-known RSA cryptosystem that can be extended to a multi-prime version of RSA reveal that it is preferable to use the modulus having more prime factors. On the contrary, the larger the number of prime factors of the modulus, the greater the risk of its factorization, due to the reduced size of its prime factors. In this paper, we derive an optimal value of the number of prime factors in a multi-prime RSA modulus and introduce the notion of the “safest-value” and determine such safest-values for moduli of different sizes. By utilizing this concept, we propose an enhanced version of our Generalized Multi-Moduli RSA (GMMRSA), which is now secure against even more attacks than its previous version. Full article

Background/Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a substantial global health threat, particularly impacting infants and vulnerable pediatric populations through severe respiratory morbidity. Methods: We developed a novel adenoviral vector vaccine platform utilizing chimpanzee adenovirus 68 (AdC68) to deliver prefusion F (pre-F) antigens from RSV subtypes A and B, generating three vaccine candidates: AdC68-A (subtype A), AdC68-B (subtype B), and AdC68-A+B (bivalent formulation). Results: Single intranasal (i.n.) immunization and prime–boost immunizations via intramuscular (i.m.) routes in BALB/c mice induced robust immune activation, with single i.n. administration conferring durable protection evidenced by an 85% reduction in pulmonary viral loads (p < 0.05) at 134 days post-immunization. All vaccine formulations via i.n. single administration elicited potent subtype-specific IgG responses (geometric mean titers 50–12,800) and Th1-polarized cellular immunity (552–1201 IFN-γ+ spot-forming units/10⁶ PBMCs, IgG2a/IgG1 > 1) in bivalent formulation group, while i.m. boosting enhanced cellular responses 3-fold versus prime immunization alone (p < 0.01). Notably, despite undetectable serum-neutralizing antibodies and absent mucosal IgA in bronchoalveolar lavage at 7 days post-i.n. immunization, the sustained viral control highlights non-neutralizing antibody-mediated protective mechanisms. Conclusions: These findings establish the proof-of-concept for adenoviral-vectored intranasal vaccines against RSV, though optimization of humoral response induction and mucosal immunity duration require further investigation. Full article

Respiratory viral infections pose a significant health problem that disproportionately affects the elderly. With the aging worldwide population being less responsive to protective vaccines, there is an urgent need for strategies that can protect the elderly from community-acquired viral infections. Background/Objectives: Allo-priming is a novel immunomodulatory vaccine concept using allogeneic, living, activated Th1 cells that are rejected by the host, creating anti-alloantigen Th1 immunity, increasing Th1 titers. Th1 cells orchestrate cellular immunity, and the age-related decline in Th1 cells contributes to weakened cellular immune response in the elderly, which correlates with poor responsiveness to vaccines and increased susceptibility to respiratory viral infections. Increased Th1 cell titers in the elderly were hypothesized to reverse immunosenescence and restore cellular immune function. Restoration of cellular immune function was predicted to restore broad respiratory viral protection through a heterologous immune mechanism. Methods: A phase I/II, multi-center, open-label clinical trial was conducted in 40 healthy adults over 65 years of age to investigate the safety of allo-priming and the effects this vaccination strategy has on cellular immune function over time. Results: Allo-priming had a benign safety profile and significantly increased the titers of circulating Th1 cells. The increase in Th1 cells was shown to provide broad, self-amplifying respiratory viral protection over time in an ex vivo cytopathic effect assay without additional vaccinations and without any viral antigens included in the formulation, as well acting to increase neutralizing antibody titers in low-responding individuals previously vaccinated for COVID-19. Conclusions: These results provide support for an expanded clinical evaluation of this immunomodulatory vaccination strategy as a possible method to restore cellular immune competence to the elderly and provide broad heterologous immune protection from respiratory viral infections without the need for frequent vaccine re-formulations or booster shots (National Library of Medicine: NCT04441047). Full article

Background: In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health, largely driven by the emergence of various genetic mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Although the pandemic phase has passed, the full extent of the virus’s evolutionary trajectory remains uncertain, highlighting the need for continued research in vaccine development to establish a cross-reactive approach that can effectively address different variants. This proof-of-concept study aimed to assess the effectiveness of microparticulate vaccine delivery through the minimally invasive microneedle route of administration, using a heterologous prime–booster strategy against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Method: This strategy uses the whole inactivated virus of the Delta variant for the prime dose and the whole inactivated virus of the Omicron variant for the booster dose, with alum as an adjuvant. The formulation of microparticles involves encapsulating the antigens in poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) polymer, which provides sustained release and enhances immunogenicity while protecting the antigen. Microparticles were tested for in vitro assays, and characterization included particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficacy. Furthermore, serum was collected post-administration of the vaccine in mice and was tested for antibody levels. Result: In vitro assays confirmed the non-cytotoxicity and the ability of microparticles to activate the immune response of the vaccine particles. Administering this microparticulate vaccine via microneedles has proven effective for delivering vaccines through the skin. We also observed significantly higher antigen-specific antibody levels and cross-reactivity in the strains. Conclusions: Our adjuvanted microparticulate-based heterologous prime–booster vaccine strategy showed cross-reactivity among the strains and was successfully delivered using microneedles. Full article

Previous research has extensively examined the impact of money on morality, yet limited attention has been given to how the mere contemplation of money influences moral reasoning and decision-making. The present study aims to address this gap by exploring how both the concept of money and the love of money shape deontological and utilitarian inclinations in moral judgments. In Study 1 (N = 102), we investigated the effect of money concept priming on moral thinking. Participants were primed with either the concept of money or a neutral concept through a scrambled-sentences task, and subsequently made moral decisions in 20 dilemmas adapted from Conway and Gawronski. These dilemmas required participants to decide whether to harm others in order to achieve a greater outcome. To assess participants’ utilitarian and deontological tendencies, we employed the process-dissociation procedure. In Study 2 (N = 488), we further examined the relationship between the love of money—a long-term trait—and moral judgments. Specifically, we investigated whether four moral orientations (deliberation, rule, sentiment, and integration) mediate the relationship between the love of money and deontological/utilitarian inclinations. Participants completed the love of money scale and the moral orientation scale before reading the same 20 dilemmas from Study 1. Our findings revealed that priming the concept of money enhanced utilitarian tendencies but did not significantly affect deontological tendencies. Furthermore, the love of money was negatively correlated with deontological tendencies and positively correlated with utilitarian tendencies. Deliberation fully mediated the effect of the love of money on utilitarian tendencies and partially mediated its effect on deontological tendencies. Full article

Background: Lawsonia intracellularis (LI) is the agent of proliferative enteropathy in swine, a common disease that affects pigs for up to eight weeks after weaning. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of two novel subunit vaccines targeting outer membrane proteins on LI. Methods: The two vaccines included OMP2c.cVLP, where the OMP2c antigen was anchored on the surface of capsid virus-like particles (cVLP); and MBP.INVASc, where antigens were anchored to an MBP fusion protein. Groups of six mice, as proof of concept, and six piglets were immunized with either OMP2c.cVLP, MBP.INVASc., or PBS as a control using a prime-boost regime. Results: Both OMP2c.cVLP and MBP.INVASc subunit vaccines induced strong antigen-specific serum IgG and IgA responses. There were no significant differences in weight gain among the groups. Mild-to-moderate clinical signs of LI infection were observed, but vaccinated groups showed lower inflammatory scores and fewer animals tested positive for bacteria by immunohistochemistry. Although neither vaccine completely prevented clinical signs of LI infection, both effectively reduced inflammation and lowered the pathogen load, thereby mitigating the severity of the disease, particularly the MBP.INVASc vaccine. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both vaccines have the potential for further development and optimization to enhance their protective efficacy against LI infections. Full article

Consider a commutative ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$-graded ring ($R=R_0⨁R_1$). Consequently, each element ($x\in R$) can be uniquely expressed as $x=x_0+x_1$, where $x_0\in R_0$ and $x_1\in R_1$. For any $x\in R$, we consider the function $N\left(x\right)=x_0^2-x_1^2$. In this work, we examine the properties of N and utilize them to derive new results. Moreover, we apply this function to establish concepts such as N-prime ideals, N radicals, N-integral domains, and N fields, achieving several notable results along the way. Among our results, we demonstrate that an N-prime ideal is not necessarily prime. Additionally, we show that the N radical differs from the usual radical ideal and is not always an ideal. Furthermore, we establish that an N-integral domain (N field) is not necessarily an integral domain (field). Full article

This work explores the unit graph of the commutative ring ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ for prime $p$ and explores the significance of the Sombor index and the Sombor polynomial in comprehending its structural details. We systematically investigate the unit graph and the identity graph of ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$, exposing subtle patterns and symmetries within its vertices and edges by utilizing the extensive linkages between algebraic structures and graph theory. Using an in-depth examination, we prove the importance of the Sombor index and the Sombor polynomial as indispensable instruments for describing the algebraic and combinatorial characteristics inherent in the graph. Our results clarify the basic characteristics of the unit graph and the identity graph of ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ and highlight its function in expressing the ring’s underlying algebraic structure. This work provides an avenue for further investigations into the interplay between algebraic structures and graph-theoretic concepts and also makes contributions to the subject of algebraic graph theory. We clear the path for further research and developments in this fascinating field of study by explaining the complexities regarding the unit and the identity graphs of ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ and emphasizing the significance of the Sombor index and the Sombor polynomial. Full article

Background/Objectives: Marburg virus (MARV) is the etiological agent of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever disease with high case fatality rates in humans. Smaller outbreaks have frequently been reported in countries in Africa over the last few years, and confirmed human cases outside Africa are, so far, exclusively imported by returning travelers. Over the previous years, MARV has also spread to non-endemic African countries, demonstrating its potential to cause epidemics. Although MARV-specific vaccines are evaluated in preclinical and clinical research, none have been approved for human use. Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), a well-established viral vector used to generate vaccines against emerging pathogens, can deliver multiple antigens and has a remarkable clinical safety and immunogenicity record, further supporting its evaluation as a vaccine against MARV. The rapid availability of safe and effective MVA-MARV vaccine candidates would expand the possibilities of multi-factored intervention strategies in endemic countries. Methods: We have used an optimized methodology to rapidly generate and characterize recombinant MVA candidate vaccines that meet the quality requirements to proceed to human clinical trials. As a proof-of-concept for the optimized methodology, we generated two recombinant MVAs that deliver either the MARV glycoprotein (MVA-MARV-GP) or the MARV nucleoprotein (MVA-MARV-NP). Results: Infections of human cell cultures with recombinant MVA-MARV-GP and MVA-MARV-NP confirmed the efficient synthesis of MARV-GP and MARV-NP proteins in mammalian cells, which are non-permissive for MVA replication. Prime-boost immunizations in C57BL/6J mice readily induced circulating serum antibodies binding to recombinant MARV-GP and MARV-NP proteins. Moreover, the MVA-MARV-candidate vaccines elicited MARV-specific T-cell responses in C57BL/6J mice. Conclusions: We confirmed the suitability of our two backbone viruses MVA-mCherry and MVA-GFP in a proof-of-concept study to rapidly generate candidate vaccines against MARV. However, further studies are warranted to characterize the protective efficacy of these recombinant MVA-MARV vaccines in other preclinical models and to evaluate them as vaccine candidates in humans. Full article

Educational robotics has become increasingly popular in STEM education, offering motivating and hands-on learning experiences. The use of robots in science education is widespread, mainly in primary and secondary schools, whereas there is little research in higher mathematics education in this area. This paper explores the potential of educational robotics for teaching plane curves at the university level. Specifically, it investigates the development and implementation of a LEGO Education SPIKE Prime robot designed to draw various central trochoids, including epicycloids and hypocycloids. The robot’s construction and programming are described in detail, emphasising the relationship between the physical movements of the robot and the mathematical equations of the curves it produces. The study also examines the integration of dynamic geometry software, which allows for visualising the curves and verifying the robot’s accuracy. The development process of the drawing LEGO robot followed the V-model methodology. Functional and manual testing of the drawing robot was conducted in a classroom environment with ten students. Based on the feedback from students, the paper concludes that educational robotics can serve as a valuable tool for enhancing both theoretical and practical understanding of mathematical and engineering concepts, offering a more engaging and interactive approach to learning. Full article

In this article, we introduce and examine the concept of graded weakly strongly quasi primary ideals. A proper graded ideal P of R is said to be a graded weakly strongly quasi primary (shortly, Gwsq-primary) ideal if whenever $0\ne xy\in P$, for some homogeneous elements $x,y\in R$, then $x^2\in P$ or $y^n\in P$, for some positive integer n. Many examples and properties of Gwsq-primary ideals are given. Among several results, we compare Gwsq-primary ideals and other classical graded ideals such as graded strongly quasi primary ideals, graded weakly primary ideals and graded weakly 2-prime ideals etc. Full article

As habitat loss and other threats accelerate, ecological restoration and reintroduction science are becoming progressively more important. The psittacines are among the most endangered bird groups and are prime candidates for restoration through reintroduction. Unfortunately, post-release survival of captive-raised animals is often quite low because, in part, of high predation rates, low site fidelity, poor flight ability, and low flock cohesion. Current best practices in parrot release hold the birds in captivity for a year or more and include distinct methods to address each of these challenges. Here, we conduct a small-scale, proof-of-concept study using free flight methods and human-socialized trained adult birds to hand raise and release a group of six fledgling Blue-and-yellow Macaws in their historical range in southeastern Brazil. All six released birds showed strong flock cohesion and fidelity to the release site, avoided predation, and survived without supplemental feeding for over one year. One bird was captured by local people but was recovered and rereleased and it has reintegrated into the group and is still alive and doing well. The human-socialized trained adult birds modeled both desirable behaviors (flocking, foraging, reacting to predators) and undesirable behaviors and they were returned to captivity before the conclusion of this study. Our study suggests that free flight training has great potential to help captive-raised young attain a broad array of vital skills needed for survival post-release. Full article