Search Results (246)

Tumor-draining lymph nodes function paradoxically not only as key sites for the priming and coordination of anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses but also as regional hubs through which invading tumor cells can seed distant metastases. The quality of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells elicited at this site is therefore a critical determinant of the outcome of anti-tumor immunity and cancer progression. Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of CD8+ T cell dysfunction within tumor-draining lymph nodes, highlighting it as an important means of tumor immune escape that may arise early in the course of cancer progression. This review aims to bring attention to emerging data on this topic, with particular focus given to the implications that lymph-node-resident CD8+ T cell dysfunction has both for cancer immunotherapy and for pre-metastatic niche formation during early stages of cancer progression. Full article

Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a major therapeutic challenge due to its high incidence and mortality. Herba Patriniae (HP), a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used for respiratory disorders and exhibits anti-cancer potential. However, the therapeutic effects of HP on NSCLC and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Methods: Network pharmacology was applied to identify the core active components of HP and their potential targets in NSCLC. The anti-cancer effects of the core HP component Linarin on the malignant phenotypes of NSCLC cells were characterized using Tumor Protein P53 (p53) wild-type A549 and p53-null H1299 cell lines with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU fluorescence staining, colony formation, apoptosis analysis, cell cycle analysis, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, together with molecular docking and Western blotting analyses. Results: Network pharmacology analysis identified Linarin as the core active component of HP and screened out six hub targets, including Cyclin Dependent Kinase 1/4 (CDK1/4), Cyclin A2/B1 (CCNA2/B1), and Checkpoint Kinase 1/2 (CHEK1/2), which were found to be mainly enriched in cell cycle and senescence pathways. In vitro assays showed that Linarin dose-dependently (0–200 μM) inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 phase arrest, and promoted cellular senescence and apoptosis in both cell lines, irrespective of p53 status. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding affinities between Linarin and the hub targets, and Western blotting confirmed that Linarin downregulated CCNA2/B1 and CHEK1. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that Linarin, the core active component of HP, exerts potent anti-NSCLC effects by inducing G0/G1 arrest, senescence, and apoptosis. These effects are associated with the downregulation of key cell cycle regulators, including CCNA2/B1 and CHEK1. Together, these findings highlight the potential of Linarin as a promising therapeutic option for NSCLC. Full article

Applications of smart cities, smart buildings, smart agriculture systems, smart grids, and other smart systems benefit from Internet of Things (IoT) protocols, networks, and architecture. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in smart systems that employ IoT use wireless communication technologies between sensors in the Things layer and the Fog layer hub. Such wireless protocols and networks include WiFi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee, among others. However, the payload formats of these protocols are heterogeneous, and thus, they lack a unified frame format that ensures interoperability. In this paper, a lightweight, interoperable frame format for low-rate, small-size Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in IoT-based systems is designed, implemented, and tested. The practicality of this system is underscored by the development of a gateway that transfers collected data from sensors that use the unified frame to online servers via message queuing and telemetry transport (MQTT) secured with transport layer security (TLS), ensuring interoperability using the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. The proposed frame is tested using market-available technologies such as Bluetooth and Zigbee, and then applied to smart home applications. The smart home scenario is chosen because it encompasses various smart subsystems, such as healthcare monitoring systems, energy monitoring systems, and entertainment systems, among others. The proposed system offers several advantages, including a low-cost architecture, ease of setup, improved interoperability, high flexibility, and a lightweight frame that can be applied to other wireless-based smart systems and applications. Full article

This exploratory study addresses the problem of limited research on quality assessments of newly emerging multi-use market formats that function as social hubs and their management as privately managed public spaces. Using Āgenskalns Market, a revitalised multi-use market hall in Riga, as a case study, the authors apply an assessment framework based on Yuri Impens’ study on covered food halls, incorporating quality criteria from Vikas Mehta’s Public Space Index and the UN-Habitat’s Site-Specific assessment methodology. Leclercq et al.’s works on privatisation of public spaces are integrated in the analysis of “publicness”. This framework evaluates user and observer perceptions across four dimensions: environmental quality and comfort, accessibility and amenities, social experience, and market offer. Data comprised an online survey of 318 respondents and 21 structured observations conducted during summer in 2024 and 2025. The preliminary results suggest users perceive the market as a well-maintained, aesthetically pleasing, accessible space, while identifying room for improvement regarding restroom facilities, indoor thermal regulation, noise mitigation, outdoor weather protection and parking arrangements. As for meaningful use and promoting sociability, findings highlight that flexible seating areas that allow high degrees of temporary personalisation and appropriation, alongside tailored programming and diverse activities beyond retail and dining, play an important role in attracting and retaining diverse audiences. While pricing concerns were noted for specific product groups, exclusionary effects appear to be counterbalanced by openness and inclusivity of cultural programmes and free events. The findings contribute to broader urban scholarship discussions calling for new typologies that better capture the changing character of public space use. This research suggests that private-public partnerships involving multiple stakeholders can enhance “publicness” by promoting inclusivity and social life through accessible infrastructure, diverse activities and free events, as well as enabling opportunities for temporary appropriation by users. Full article

The intangible accessibility of real estate markets via platforms like Airbnb profoundly influences the urban development industry, propelled by the dynamics of short- to medium-term rentals for tourists. The suggested study aims to examine the association between the prices of listed properties and the influence of proximity to tourist attractions on location-driven pricing. The city of Rome acts as a case study from which to derive pertinent conclusions and proof on the phenomena intended for exploration. The methodological approach relies on a comprehensive classification of locations recognized as tourist attractions, drawn from public resources, travel guides, search engines, and online trends. The identified attractionswere subsequently classified to analyze how spatial proximity influences price formation. Data on short-term rental listings were obtained from the Inside Airbnb platform. The results enable the characterization of Rome as a polycentric urban system, composed of multiple tourism hubs whose spatial interactions are closely associated with prevailing hotel pricing patterns. This study emphasizes the influence of tourist demand on land values, a phenomenon intricately connected to urban gentrification and the capitalization of the real estate market. These findings enhance comprehension of tourism’s impact on the geographical and economic structure of cities. Full article

Chalcidoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), the most important natural enemies of parasitoids, serve as a pivotal factor in the regulation and management of pest populations. Microbiotas mediate interactions among plants, herbivores, and natural enemies and shape host immunity, parasitoid development, and gall formation; however, the niche-specific diversity and functions of tritrophic parasitoid–host–gall systems remain unclear. Focusing on leaf galls induced on twisted willow (Salix matsudana f. tortuosa) by the willow-galling sawfly Euura viminalis and on two chalcidoids, Eurytoma aethiops and Aprostocetus sp., we profiled bacterial and fungal microbiomes across plant surfaces, gall lumen, host larval tissues, and parasitoids using HTAS. Fungal diversity peaked on parasitoids but was depleted in the gall lumen and host tissues; bacterial richness showed the opposite trend, peaking in the gall lumen and decreasing on parasitoids. In networks contrasted by kingdom, fungi showed positive interface-hub connectivity (Cladosporium, Alternaria), whereas bacteria showed negative hub-mediated associations (Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter), indicating habitat-specific replacements: exposed niches favored transport, two-component, secretion–motility and energy functions, whereas the gall lumen reduced transport/motility but selectively retained N/S metabolism; and in host tissues, information processing and nitrogen respiration were highlighted. These results inform microbiome-guided parasitoid biocontrol. Full article

In recent years, the convergence of advanced technologies has enabled real-time data access and sharing across diverse devices and networks, significantly amplifying cybersecurity risks. For organizations with digital infrastructures, network security is crucial for mitigating potential cyber-attacks. They establish security policies to protect systems and data, but employees may intentionally or unintentionally bypass these policies, rendering the network vulnerable to internal and external threats. Detecting these policy violations is challenging, requiring frequent manual system checks for compliance. This paper addresses key challenges in safeguarding digital assets against evolving threats, including rogue access points, man-in-the-middle attacks, denial-of-service (DoS) incidents, unpatched vulnerabilities, and AI-driven automated exploits. We propose a Blockchain-Enhanced Network Scanning and Monitoring (BENSAM) Framework, a multi-layered system that integrates advanced network scanning with a structured database for asset management, policy-driven vulnerability detection, and remediation planning. Key enhancements include device profiling, user activity monitoring, network forensics, intrusion detection capabilities, and multi-format report generation. By incorporating blockchain technology, and leveraging immutable ledgers and smart contracts, the framework ensures tamper-proof audit trails, decentralized verification of policy compliance, and automated real-time responses to violations such as alerts; actual device isolation is performed by external controllers like SDN or NAC systems. The research provides a detailed literature review on blockchain applications in domains like IoT, healthcare, and vehicular networks. A working prototype of the proposed BENSAM framework was developed that demonstrates end-to-end network scanning, device profiling, traffic monitoring, policy enforcement, and blockchain-based immutable logging. This implementation is publicly released and is available on GitHub. It analyzes common network vulnerabilities (e.g., open ports, remote access, and disabled firewalls), attacks (including spoofing, flooding, and DDoS), and outlines policy enforcement methods. Moreover, the framework anticipates emerging challenges from AI-driven attacks such as adversarial evasion, data poisoning, and transformer-based threats, positioning the system for the future integration of adaptive mechanisms to counter these advanced intrusions. This blockchain-enhanced approach streamlines security analysis, extends the framework for AI threat detection with improved accuracy, and reduces administrative overhead by integrating multiple security tools into a cohesive, trustworthy, reliable solution. Full article

Background/Objectives: Early larval development is critical for caste and sex differentiation in honeybees. This study investigates molecular divergence in 4-day-old Apis mellifera larvae and introduces a customized deep learning model for hub-gene discovery. Methods: Genome-guided RNA-seq, DEGs, WGCNA, and splicing analyses were integrated. A hybrid convolution–attention model, ACmix-Swin, combined with WGAN-GP augmentation, was developed to classify larvae and prioritize caste-biased genes. Selected genes were validated by qPCR. Results: Significant caste- and sex-specific divergence was detected in cuticle formation, hormone metabolism, and reproductive signaling. ACmix-Swin achieved the highest accuracy among baseline models and consistently identified key regulators, including Vg, LOC725841, LOC412768, and LOC100576841. qPCR confirmed RNA-seq trends. Conclusions: Caste- and sex-specific transcriptional programs are established early in larval development. The ACmix-Swin framework provides an effective strategy for high-dimensional transcriptome interpretation and robust hub-gene identification. Full article

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 6 (ADAMTS6) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protease that promotes the invasion of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. Herein, we investigate its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that drives metastasis and drug resistance in LUAD. Re-analysis of microarray and RNA sequencing data from LUAD cells revealed that during EMT, TGF-β1 increased ADAMTS6 expression, presumably through the SMAD pathway, as SMAD2 loss completely blocked this effect. Moreover, ADAMTS6 was shown to occupy hub positions within TGF-β1-associated gene networks. Using additional datasets, we found that ADAMTS6 expression increased under other EMT-inducing conditions, including IL-1β induction and acquired gefitinib resistance, but decreased upon knockdown of Twist1, a master regulator of EMT. Knockout of ADAMTS6 repressed colony formation, migration, invasion, and doxorubicin resistance but enhanced cell–ECM adhesion in A549 cells. This effect was mediated by EMT inhibition, evidenced by upregulation of E-cadherin and downregulation of N-cadherin, vimentin, and Twist1, and was accompanied by suppressed nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. Re-analysis of transcriptomic data from patient tumors demonstrated that high ADAMTS6 expression correlated with the expression of EMT markers, further supporting the ADAMTS6–EMT link. Moreover, high ADAMTS6 expression was associated with worse survival prognosis. Overall, ADAMTS6 promotes EMT in LUAD cells and may be considered a marker of this process, as well as a potential therapeutic target for its inhibition. Full article

Reliable power forecasts are essential for the grid integration of offshore wind. This work presents a physics-based forecasting framework that couples mesoscale numerical weather prediction with large-eddy simulation (LES) and an actuator-disk turbine representation to predict farm-scale flows and power under realistic atmospheric conditions. Mean meteorological profiles from the Weather Research and Forecasting model drive a concurrent–precursor LES generating turbulent inflow consistent with the evolving boundary layer, while a main LES resolves turbulence and wake formation within the wind farm. The LES configuration and turbine-forcing implementation are validated against canonical single- and multi-turbine benchmarks, showing close agreement in wake deficits and recovery trends. The framework is then demonstrated for the South Fork Wind project (12 turbines, ∼132 MW) using a set of time-varying cases over a 24 h period. Simulations reproduce hub-height wind variability, row-to-row power differences associated with wake interactions, and turbine-level power fluctuations (order 1 MW) that converge with appropriate averaging windows. The results illustrate how an LES-augmented hierarchical modeling system can complement conventional forecasting by providing physically interpretable flow fields and power estimates at operational scales. Full article

Forest foods play a vital role in enhancing dietary diversity, human health, and the sustainable use of forest ecosystems. However, structured and machine-readable resources that systematically describe their taxonomic and nutritional attributes remain scarce. To fill this gap, we introduce ForestFoodKG, a comprehensive resource that integrates taxonomic hierarchy and nutritional composition of 1191 forest food items. The resource consists of two components—(i) the ForestFoodKG dataset, containing standardized taxonomic and nutritional records across seven biological levels, and (ii) the ForestFoodKG Knowledge Graph (ForestFoodKG-KG), which semantically links forest food entities using named entity recognition and relation extraction. The constructed graph comprises 4492 entities and 14,130 semantic relations, providing a structured foundation for intelligent querying, nutrition analytics, and ecological informatics. All data were manually verified and made publicly available in CSV format on GitHub. ForestFoodKG serves as the first structured knowledge base for forest foods, promoting data-driven research in nutrition science, sustainable forestry, and knowledge-based decision-making. Full article

A unique episode in the transregional connections of Buddhism is illustrated through the figures of Ruan Ziyu (1079–1102) and Liang Cineng (1098–1116). Since at least the Song dynasty, Huineng (638–713), the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, has been a revered figure in Guangdong province of China, resulting in the formation of numerous stories and legends. In the Sihui region, near the urban hub called Zhaoqing, Ruan and Liang emerged as notable disciples of Huineng, reputed to have had spiritual encounters with the Sixth Patriarch and attained Buddhahood. Known as the “Ruan Buddha” and the “Liang Buddha”, they were venerated by the Sihui people during times of droughts, turmoil, and health crisis. Over time, they became integral to Sihui identity and spread to Southeast and South Asia, particularly as people emigrated from the region in the late nineteenth century. This article examines the various stories about Ruan and Liang that circulated in Sihui and how the two buddhas have been venerated, without many links to Huineng or Buddhism, in Malaysia and India. It highlights the significance of local adaptations of Buddhist figures in transregional contexts. Full article

In response to the increasing demand for effective bridge management and the shortcomings of current proprietary solutions, this work presents an open-source, web-based platform designed to support bridge inspection and data management, particularly for small and medium-sized public administrations, which often lack personnel or funding for implementing context-specific tools. The system addresses fragmented workflows by integrating multi-format geospatial and 3D data—such as point clouds, CAD/BIM models, and georeferenced imagery—within a unified, modular architecture. The platform enables structured inventory, interactive 2D/3D visualization, defect annotation, and role-based user interaction, aligning with FAIR principles and interoperability standards. Built entirely with free and open-source tools, the P.O.N.T.I. prototype ensures scalability, transparency, and adaptability. A multi-layer navigation interface guides users through asset exploration, inspection history, and immersive 3D viewers. Fully documented and publicly available on GitHub, the system allows for deployment across varying institutional contexts. The platform’s design anticipates future developments, including integration with IoT monitoring systems, AI-driven inspection tools, and chatbot interfaces for natural language querying. By overcoming existing proprietary limitations and providing access to a versatile single space, the proposed solution supports decision-makers in the digital transition towards a more accessible, transparent and integrated infrastructure asset management. Full article

This paper presents a dataset of Chilean news media coverage during the social unrest and constitutional processes from 2019 to 2023. Using Python-based web scraping with BeautifulSoup and Selenium, we collected articles from 15 Chilean news outlets between 15 November 2019 and 17 December 2023. The initial collection of 1254 articles was filtered to 931 usable data points after removing non-relevant content, duplicates, and articles unrelated to the Chilean social outburst. Each news outlet required specific extraction approaches due to varying HTML structures, with some outlets inaccessible due to paywalls or anti-scraping mechanisms. The dataset is structured in JSON format with standardized fields including title, content, date, author, and source metadata. This resource supports research on media coverage during political events and provides data for Spanish-language processing tasks. The dataset and extraction code are publicly available on GitHub. Full article

Flower pigmentation is a critical trait in plants, influencing ecological interactions and ornamental value. This study investigates the mechanisms underlying petal coloration in Prunus campanulata and its hybrids, Prunus ‘Okame’ and Prunus ‘Yoko’. Morphological analysis revealed consistent flower size across varieties, indicating that color variation is not linked to structural differences. Physiological and biochemical analyses identified stages III and IV as critical for pigmentation, characterized by the significant accumulation of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Metabolomic profiling highlighted flavonoids as the dominant metabolites, with key compounds including chalcones, flavones, and anthocyanins contributing to color formation. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified several hub genes, including RPL34, NUDT12, and CYP78A9, within modules strongly correlated with pigment accumulation, suggesting their potential non-canonical roles in the coloration process. Environmental factors such as temperature and pH were found to influence pigment stability. Overall, this study provides insights into the genetic and biochemical regulation of flower pigmentation in P. campanulata, emphasizing the central role of flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Full article