Search Results (77,987)

IoT deployments handle credential hygiene reactively: cloned, replayed, or stale credentials are typically discovered only after misuse, and revocation state is often propagated through centralized lists whose integrity cannot be independently verified. This article introduces the Yang–Baxter IoT Consistency Gateway (YB-IoT-CG), a Zero-Trust admission-control framework that pushes an algebraic layer of credential screening to the edge and anchors security evidence on a modeled permissioned-ledger architecture. YB-IoT-CG operates after conventional secret-based authentication and Yang–Baxter equality is used as an execution-consistency invariant rather than as proof of device identity or message authenticity. Each authenticated message is hashed into a digest and reduced to an algebraic transcript that is verified over two Yang–Baxter traversal paths. Beyond equality checking, chain-proximity metrics inspired by time–memory trade-off analysis, nonce and timestamp freshness heuristics, and contextual risk scoring identify credentials that should be proactively challenged or revoked before telemetry is admitted. The proactive risk component is deterministic and policy-based rather than a learned predictive model. Decisions are batched into Merkle trees whose roots are represented through a permissioned-ledger model, credential revocation is propagated through a modeled on-chain registry, and device identities are bound to W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) with verifiable credentials. This design provides tamper-evident audit support while keeping ledger interaction off the packet decision path. Validation is based on a controlled Python 3.13.7 packet-level simulation and a parameterized ledger model, not on a physical IoT or live Hyperledger Fabric deployment. Across 60 seeded simulation runs, the complete post-authentication screening pipeline obtained a median incremental decision time of 7.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$s, 99.4% aggregate decision accuracy for the modeled attack classes, a 0.43% false rejection rate, and a 31.4 ms amortized ledger service-time equivalent per decision for a batch size of 64. The 99.4% value is a property of the composed freshness/context/registry/YB policy and is not a YB-only detection rate; the YB-specific positive guarantee is limited to the isolated fault class of Proposition 7. These results provide simulation-based evidence supporting a lightweight, explainable, auditable, and proactive approach to credential hygiene at the edge. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from neonatal sources have been proposed in clinical cell therapy to enhance hematopoietic stem cell transplantation due to their hematopoietic support capacity. Here we evaluated this capacity, particularly the lymphopoietic potential that remains poorly understood. Methods: In this in vitro study, MSCs obtained from bone marrow (BM), and neonatal sources such as placenta (PL), umbilical cord blood (UCB), and Wharton’s jelly (WJ) were cultured under the same conditions to compare their abilities to support the formation of myeloid (dendritic cell-like/non-classical monocyte-like) and lymphoid (NK and B cells) lineages from hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). MSCs were co-cultured with CD34⁺CD38⁻ Lin⁻ HPCs in the presence or absence of exogenous cytokines; cell lineages obtained were evaluated through flow cytometry. Results: Our results demonstrate that similarly to BM-MSCs, MSCs from neonatal sources have potential to support the formation of dendritic cells, non-classical monocytes, NK, and B cells. However, in contrast to BM-MSCs, neonatal sources favor the generation of lymphoid populations of advanced stages of differentiation. Conclusions: These results indicate that MSCs from neonatal sources have increased lymphopoietic potential compared to BM-MSCs, a finding with significant implications for the selection of MSC sources in clinical trial design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen and a potential reservoir of clinically important antimicrobial resistance genes in animal production. However, mink-derived P. mirabilis remains poorly characterized. This study investigated multidrug-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates from intensive mink farms, focusing on clinically important β-lactamase genes, their genomic backgrounds, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Methods:  Among 373 fecal and intestinal-content samples collected from six mink farms in Shandong Province, China, 68 P. mirabilis isolates were recovered. All underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ESBL confirmation, and virulence-associated phenotypic assays. The 39 ESBL-positive isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing, followed by analyses of antimicrobial resistance genes, the pangenome, and MGEs and comparison with 198 publicly available genomes. Results:  Of the 373 sampled mink, 68 (18.2%) were P. mirabilis positive, and 39 (10.5%) carried ESBL-producing isolates. Of the 68 isolates, 63 (92.6%) were multidrug resistant, and 39 (57.4%) were ESBL positive. All exhibited strong biofilm formation and urease activity, while 83.8% showed strong swarming motility. Among the sequenced isolates, bla_CTX-M genes were identified in 32 isolates and bla_NDM-1 in three. Both bla_CTX-M-65- and bla_NDM-1-positive isolates were distributed across multiple genomic lineages, with bla_CTX-M-65 additionally detected in multiple sequence types. This distribution indicates that these genes were not restricted to a single clone but does not demonstrate horizontal gene transfer. MGE-associated features showed same-contig co-occurrence with several resistance genes, notably IS903–bla_CTX-M-65 and ISAba125–bla_NDM-1. The sequenced isolates also exhibited substantial accessory-genome diversity and widely distributed virulence determinants associated with adhesion, motility, iron acquisition, and toxin-related functions. Conclusions:  Mink-derived P. mirabilis exhibited extensive multidrug resistance and carried clinically important β-lactamase genes across diverse genomic backgrounds. These findings support the inclusion of fur-animal production systems in One Health surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant P. mirabilis. Full article

Atherosclerotic plaques contain vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-derived populations that no longer fit a simple contractile-versus-synthetic model. Lineage tracing, single-cell transcriptomics, spatial profiling and multimodal surface-protein measurements now show that VSMC-derived cells occupy heterogeneous lesional states with pathogenic, reversible or plaque-stabilizing properties. This diversity creates a translational bottleneck. Intracellular markers and transcriptomic clusters can define state transitions, but they do not by themselves provide handles for live-cell isolation, molecular imaging, targeted delivery or selective intervention. This narrative review examines how VSMC state discovery can be translated into cell-surface signatures and surface-accessible intervention interfaces. We distinguish state/lineage markers, surface identification and sorting signatures, functional surface interfaces, causally supported candidate targets, and intervention-supported surface targets. Current evidence positions CD29, CD90, CD142, and CD200 primarily as tools for live-cell identification, whereas fibroblast activation protein (FAP) represents the most advanced example of an intervention-supported surface target for the depletion of a disease-associated modulated VSMC state. We propose a state-matched framework in which pathogenic states are selectively depleted, plastic or reversible states are modulated or reprogrammed, and matrix-supportive plaque-stabilizing states are preserved. C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), guanylyl cyclase-B/natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (GC-B/NPR2), matrix metalloproteinase 14 (S14), and CD47 span different intermediate levels of therapeutic evidence, from targeted delivery to functional surface modulation and causal intervention, whereas CD36, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), and integrins remain constrained by incomplete cell-state or lineage specificity. Major barriers include human protein-level and surface validation, state specificity, spatial accessibility and direct therapeutic testing. Full article

A warped extra dimension in a five-dimensional (5D) anti-de Sitter (AdS) background was introduced in 1999 by Lisa Randall and Raman Sundrum to solve the gauge hierarchy problem in particle physics. As a bonus, a holographic interpretation in terms of four-dimensional (4D) conformal field theories (CFTs) was found. Interestingly enough, another 5D background, linear dilaton (LD), was found to have a holographic interpretation in terms of Little String Theory. In this review, we will show how a set of 5D backgrounds, parametrized in terms of a real parameter $\nu$, generalizes both theories and gives rise, in particular, to AdS for $\nu =0$ and to LD for $\nu =1$. Furthermore, working in the 5D theory, we will consider applications of the LD background to: (i) particle physics, so that the 5D Planck scale can be lowered to sub-Planckian values, and (ii) Brane World Cosmology (BWC), based on the appearance of an extra vacuum characterized by a 5D black hole. In all cases, we find a gapped continuum for bulk propagating fields, which makes a connection with unparticles. In the case of BWC, we also point out the existence of a pressureless holographic fluid that could play the role of dark matter (DM), with feeble (gravitational) interactions with the Standard Model (SM), decoupled from the thermal SM bath, and generated by a freeze-in mechanism after inflation. We also point out the additional possibility of identifying DM with a long-lived, feebly interacting massive graviton, as an isolated resonance generated by radiative corrections to the continuum graviton propagator self-energy. Full article

Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) systems are critical visual aids for supporting flight crews during the final approach phase by providing visual information on the aircraft’s vertical position relative to the desired glide path. Their correct operation and angular setting are therefore essential for maintaining operational safety at aerodromes. This study develops and field-evaluates a deterministic UAS-based workflow for automatic PAPI light localization, RED/WHITE/UNDEFINED state classification, red–white transition detection, and angular reconstruction from geotagged UAS observations. Data were acquired at two Colombian aerodromes, Perales Airport (SKIB) and Flaminio Suárez Camacho Aerodrome (SKGY), using a DJI Matrice 400 equipped with Zenmuse P1 and H30T optical payloads under manual vertical flight profiles and two illumination conditions. The proposed algorithm integrates luminance-based saliency extraction, four-light geometric validation, localized ROI-based chromatic classification, and RED→WHITE transition-event detection to estimate the transition angle of each PAPI unit from geotagged UAS observations. Results differed between the two evaluated site–payload configurations. In the SKGY–H30T configuration, the use of zoom and background-attenuation settings facilitated target isolation, and all 255 processed images were correctly classified during manual verification. In the SKIB–P1 configuration, 96.57% image-level classification accuracy was obtained, with the observed misclassifications mainly associated with city lights and luminous halos between adjacent PAPI units. Angular agreement with theodolite measurements also differed between the two datasets. Because each optical payload was evaluated at a different aerodrome, these differences cannot be attributed independently to payload characteristics; they represent the combined response of the payload, acquisition settings, background complexity, illumination, and site-specific conditions. Full article

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) postharvest quality can be compromised by fungal colonization across the farm-to-chocolate continuum, motivating non-chemical control options that can be engineered as unit operations. This study evaluates microwave (MW) irradiation (2.45 GHz) as a physical disinfestation process against Fusarium solani (F. solani). Experiments were conducted under a completely randomized design (CRD) by tuning MW power (140–210 W) and exposure time to reach predefined surface-temperature bands verified by infrared (IR) thermography. Post-treatment viability was assessed by incubation (27 °C, 7–10 days) and classified as Reduced Growth Rate (RGR; sublethal regrowth slower than control) or Death (D; no regrowth comparable to autoclaved negative controls). Outcomes were temperature-governed: RGR predominated in sublethal bands (60–80 °C), whereas consistent D occurred once surface temperature exceeded 80 °C. Thermodynamic modeling established a median lethal temperature ($L{T}_{50}$) of $81.0^{\circ }C$, and a 99% eradication threshold ($L{T}_{99}$) of $87.2^{\circ }C$. Maximizing the heating rate ($H_r$) to 0.381 ${}^{\circ }$C/s at 210 W ensured rapid and profound cellular suppression. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) corroborated severe ultrastructural damage (collapsed macroconidia and disrupted hyphae) under lethal conditions, and turbidimetric monitoring over 120 h showed sustained growth suppression in treated samples. These findings define a practical lethal threshold and power–time windows to inform MW scale-up as a postharvest unit operation while minimizing thermal residence time. Full article

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has the characteristics of a fast evolution rate and high genetic heterogeneity. PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 are co-circulating, and the threat they pose to the health of pigs worldwide continues to rise. In this study, two PRRSV strains with significantly different genetic backgrounds, namely SHEU-2022 (PRRSV-1, full length 15,050 nt) and SHCH-2023 (PRRSV-2, full length 15,019 nt), were simultaneously isolated from a single serum sample of a co-infected sow in Shanghai, China, and their whole-genome characteristics were analyzed. SHEU-2022 clustered with indigenous PRRSV-1 isolates in China, harbored a unique 15-nt deletion in the ORF3-ORF4 overlapping region, carried an additional N-glycosylation site on GP5, and replicated only in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) under the conditions used. SHCH-2023 is a novel recombinant strain with a CH-1a-like (lineage 8) genome backbone and two NADC30-derived fragments—one in Nsp2 (sublineage 1.8) carrying the characteristic 131-amino acid deletion and one in the GP2/E region; it replicated in both PAMs and Marc-145 cells, though this may partly reflect the enrichment procedure. No PRRSV-1/PRRSV-2 recombination was detected between the two co-infected strains. Full article

Background: Ocular coloboma is a congenital eye defect with high genetic heterogeneity. This study investigated a four-generation pedigree to identify candidate variants underlying autosomal dominant iris and chorioretinal coloboma. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on a single affected family member. Variants were prioritised using the Phenopolis pipeline, filtered for rarity across multiple population databases, and retained where CADD indicated predicted deleteriousness. Candidate variants were then validated by Sanger sequencing in the four family members from whom DNA was available. Variants were classified according to ACMG/AMP criteria. Results: Five rare heterozygous variants were identified: STOML1 (NM_004809.5:c.1100T>C; p.(Leu367Pro)), MTIF2 (NM_002453.3:c.1337G>A; p.(Trp446Ter)), CDH23 (NM_022124.6:c.8906G>A; p.(Arg2969His)), CDON (NM_001378964.1:c.3276+1G>T; p.?), and ERCC6L2 (NM_020207.7:c.19C>T; p.(Gln7Ter)). Four are classified as of uncertain significance; the ERCC6L2 variant is classified as pathogenic in ClinVar. Conclusions: STOML1 is proposed as an exploratory candidate gene for isolated ocular coloboma, requiring replication in independent families and functional validation. The recurrent ERCC6L2 nonsense variant is reported as an incidental finding of potential haematological relevance. Full article

Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) offer a promising path toward ultra-low-power artificial intelligence inference by emulating the event-driven computation of biological neurons. However, two challenges limit their practical deployment. First, fixed-parameter Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) neurons lack the adaptation mechanisms observed in biology, where neurons modulate their excitability based on firing history. Second, scaling from single neurons to multi-neuron networks introduces challenges in synaptic weight distribution and inter-neuron spike routing that are absent in isolated designs. This paper addresses both issues through the extension, verification, and physical implementation of adaptive LIF neurons at three architectural scales. Building on Lin’s 1st-order adaptive LIF neuron—previously developed as a Tiny Tapeout macro—this work contributes a 2nd-order neuron with two-stage synaptic filtering for richer temporal dynamics; a fully connected six-neuron spiking network with configurable weights (100 to 5) demonstrating weight-based inter-neuron communication; and a direct verification methodology enabling per-cycle observation of all internal states. All designs were synthesized targeting Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) 14 nm Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor technology at 1 GHz and verified with Cocotb-based Python testbenches under pulsed current stimuli (amplitude 80, ISI = 3). The results show that adaptation effectively modulates firing: 31% suppression in the 2nd-order neuron (25 vs. 36 spikes) and 31% reduction in postsynaptic firing in the network (18 vs. 26 spikes). Physically, the 2nd-order neuron costs 1.77× more area and 1.52× more power than the 1st-order baseline, while the six-neuron network demonstrates near-linear scaling (5.7× area, 5.3× power). Seven verification bugs spanning testbench connectivity, fixed-point overflow, and Verilog expression-width semantics are documented. Full article

The term virtual cell now covers objects ranging from curated biochemical simulators to atlas-trained neural representations, yet the decisive empirical question is narrower: whether a model built to obey known biochemical rules predicts the effects of new drugs or genetic changes better than an otherwise identical model that lacks them. Formally, this Perspective asks whether a biologically specified mechanistic operator improves out-of-distribution prediction of single-cell perturbation responses beyond strong simple, relational, transport-based, and learned-dynamical comparators. Recent benchmarks show that rankings depend on partition, statistical unit, effect-size distribution, gene set, and metric, and that several deep and foundation-model approaches fail to exceed no-change, mean-effect, additive, or linear controls. Set-based, knowledge-graph, transport, and learned state-equation models can improve defined tasks. No identified study isolates the incremental value of a biologically specified operator against late fusion, a capacity-matched static model, a capacity-matched learned-dynamical operator, and topology-rewired controls under one locked evaluation. Six source categories are distinguished, with the operator category divided into biologically specified and learned-dynamical subclasses. A minimum falsification framework is specified for the unfolded protein response with a declared capacity ledger, endpoint times chosen by a prespecified Stage 1 rule, and a locked comparator set. The framework is prospective: no new data, model implementation, or performance result is reported, and every threshold is a design choice awaiting empirical test. Full article

Temperature-induced variations in piezoelectric material properties can detune acoustic-logging transducers and alter their electrical, mechanical, and acoustic responses. This study establishes a temperature-dependent finite-element model of a tubular lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) transducer over 0–200 °C. Temperature-dependent dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic parameters were implemented as constitutive functions. Frequency-domain impedance simulations were compared with impedance measurements over 20–200 °C, while transient fluid-loaded simulations and laser-vibrometry measurements were used to characterize the acoustic-pressure and vessel-wall vibration responses. The simulated resonant frequency decreased from 21.379 to 19.35 kHz, and the measured value decreased from 21.135 to 19.55 kHz. The simulated static capacitance increased from 18.8 to 81.0 nF, whereas the measured value increased from 23.7 to 93.0 nF. An isolated geometric-expansion sensitivity analysis indicated that omitted dimensional changes may partly account for this discrepancy. The fitted motional resistance decreased in both the simulations and experiments. The vessel-wall vibration-velocity squared integral decreased from 0.03483 to $0.0067{\mathrm{mm}}^2$/s, and the simulated acoustic-pressure squared integral decreased from 2.14926 to 1.59839 Pa²·s. The frequency corresponding to the maximum sound-pressure spectrum also decreased from 22.644 to 21.607 kHz. The agreement in the principal temperature-dependent trends indicates that the model captures the dominant electromechanical behavior, while the remaining capacitance discrepancy highlights the influence of thermal deformation and other nonideal experimental factors. The proposed framework provides a basis for performance prediction and temperature compensation of piezoelectric transducers used in acoustic logging and other elevated-temperature acoustic systems. Full article

As a continuation of our previous study on erinacenones A–L (Part 1), thirteen previously undescribed isoindolin-1-ones, erinacenones M–Y (1–13), were isolated from the fermentation broth of Hericium erinaceus. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS), and the absolute configurations of 1–13 were determined by comparing their specific rotations with those of related phthalimidines (14–23). Compound 11 showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity among the tested compounds, with 31.5% inhibition at 50 μM. These findings significantly enrich the chemical diversity of isoindolinone metabolites from H. erinaceus and provide a foundation for future structure–activity relationship studies. Full article

Extreme events threaten distribution network security. When remote-controlled switches (RCSs) lose remote operability during extreme events while remaining manually operable, faulted areas may no longer be isolated through remote switching alone. This paper proposes a multi-stage resilience enhancement method that coordinates RCSs and switch operation crews under RCS fault conditions. A four-stage framework is established, comprising pre-event prevention, degradation, fault isolation, and service restoration. Normal RCSs can be remotely opened to shrink the faulted zone during isolation, while faulty RCSs remain frozen and can change their switching states only through on-site crew intervention during restoration. A unified operation constraint is formulated for the isolation stage, and a crew-assisted switching constraint links crew presence at faulty-RCS locations to their switching operability during restoration. The problem is cast as a scenario-based mixed-integer linear program minimizing expected weighted load shedding across all post-event stages. Case studies on the modified IEEE 33-bus system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method under different RCS availability conditions. Under the same line-fault configuration, loss of RCS remote operability increases cumulative weighted load shedding by 28.09% and delays complete load restoration by one time interval. The reported four-scenario computation required approximately 7128 s. Full article

Communities in Miami face persistent disparities in HIV prevention, including low uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and gaps in routine HIV testing. These inequities are shaped by co-occurring structural conditions, such as food insecurity, housing instability, discrimination, transportation barriers, and broader barriers to care. Understanding how these conditions interconnect may inform approaches to sustained engagement in HIV prevention. We examined how structural and sociodemographic conditions and food insecurity were interconnected and reflective of overall structural vulnerability. We conducted a cross-sectional network analysis using data from 2755 surveys collected during Phases 1 and 2 of the Five Point Initiative (FPI), a community-engaged, place-based sexual health implementation strategy in Miami. Partial correlation networks were estimated using the EBICglasso algorithm across key structural barriers to HIV prevention. We calculated network centrality metrics (strength, betweenness, closeness) to characterize the relative connectivity and positioning of conditions within the network. Secondarily, we used traditional mixed correlations to characterize bivariate associations among structural and sociodemographic factors. Multiple regression also examined associations of barriers to care, discrimination, ethnicity, education, housing instability, and income with food insecurity. Additional models examined whether these differed by race. Food insecurity emerged as having the highest strength, closeness, and betweenness centrality within the network and showed the strongest association with barriers to care. Greater food insecurity was also associated with higher discrimination, lower income, unstable housing, and Latino ethnicity. Additional significant connections among variables were also found. Similarly, in secondary bivariate analyses, food insecurity was positively correlated with barriers to care (r = 0.331), discrimination (r = 0.251), ethnicity (r = 0.141), and housing instability (r = 0.125), and negatively correlated with income (r = −0.150) and education (r = −0.079). The multivariable regression model predicting food insecurity was statistically significant, F(6, 2612) = 65.8, p < 0.001, with association directions generally consistent with the network findings. Race did not significantly moderate most individual associations with food insecurity. Race by housing interaction was significant (p = 0.03), indicating that participants who identified as Black or African American with insecure housing were more likely to experience food insecurity. Overall, the findings indicate that food insecurity occupies a prominent position within an interconnected system of social and structural constraints around HIV prevention. Structural barriers to HIV prevention operate as a mutually reinforcing system rather than isolated challenges. Addressing highly connected constraints, particularly food insecurity, housing instability, and barriers to care, through place-based, community-engaged strategies may yield compounded benefits across the prevention continuum. These findings highlight potential priorities for structural intervention in Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) priority jurisdictions. Full article