Search Results (471)

This study introduces an energy-aware hybrid security framework that safeguards embedded systems against code theft, closing a critical gap. The approach integrates bitstream encryption, dynamic key generation, and Dynamic Function eXchange (DFX)-based memory obfuscation, yielding a layered hardware–software countermeasure to Read-Only Memory (ROM) scraping, side-channel attacks, and Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) intrusions by eavesdropping on communications on pins, cables, or Printed Circuit Board (PCB) routes. Prototyped on a Xilinx Zynq-7020 System-on-Chip (SoC) and applicable to MicroBlaze-based designs, it derives a fresh Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD) key for each record via an Ascon-eXtendable-Output Function (XOF)–based Key Derivation Function (KDF) bound to a device identifier and a rotating slice from a secret pool, while relocating both the pool and selected Block RAM (BRAM)-resident code pages via Dynamic Function eXchange (DFX). This moving-target strategy frustrates ROM scraping, probing, and communication-line eavesdropping, while cryptographic confidentiality and integrity are provided by a lightweight AEAD (Ascon). Hardware evaluation reports cycles/byte, end-to-end latency, and per-packet energy under identical conditions across lightweight AEAD baselines; the framework’s key-derivation and DFX layers are orthogonal to the chosen AEAD. The threat model, field layouts (Nonce/AAD), receiver-side acceptance checks, and quantitative bounds are specified to enable reproducibility. By avoiding online key exchange and keeping long-lived secrets off Programmable Logic (PL)-based external memories while continuously relocating their physical locus, the framework provides a deployable, energy-aware defense in depth against code-theft vectors in FPGA-based systems. Overall, the work provides an original and deployable solution for strengthening the security of commercial products against code theft in embedded environments. Full article

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the foundation of evidence-based medicine. However, the rapid pace of technological innovation in cardiovascular surgery and interventional cardiology challenges the traditional RCT framework. Observational studies may hold renewed value in fields where device evolution outpaces the time required to validate clinical outcomes. Methods: This analysis evaluates 270 randomized and non-randomized studies in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), one of the most rapidly evolving areas in cardiovascular medicine. The investigation follows two lines: first, mapping the timeline of major RCTs against the introduction of new prosthetic models; second, comparing the prevalence, duration, and role of randomized (R) versus non-randomized (NR) studies. Results: The timeline reveals a persistent misalignment between innovation and validation. New prosthetic models frequently enter the market while RCTs for prior generations are still ongoing. For example, the Sapien 3 valve was approved, while trials on Sapien XT were still enrolling. Similarly, newer Evolut and Acurate models were introduced during ongoing studies of earlier versions, often prompting new studies before existing ones concluded. This leapfrogging effect fragments the evidence base and delays definitive comparisons. In parallel, randomized trials have increased in number and tend to be shorter in duration, reflecting a maturing field. However, non-randomized studies remain crucial for early testing and post-market surveillance. Conclusions: In a field with rapid technological evolution a sort of Zeno’s paradox occurs: long-term validation cannot keep pace with fast innovation, resetting the evidence base with each new model. To overcome this paradox, a paradigm shift in evidence generation is desirable. Future strategies must augment adaptive trial designs, leverage real-world data and use higher-level, advanced analyses to incorporate subjective variables and phenotypic diversity, to reduce confounding factors and speed up data access. Higher-level, integrative evidence analytics could help Achilles walk alongside the tortoise. Full article

Northern corn leaf blight is a major fungal disease hindering maize production worldwide. Among the various strategies of disease management, the deployment of host plant resistance is the most economic means to mitigate the yield losses, as it is cost-effective and durable. In this study, we performed the genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis in a set of 336 maize inbred lines. The experimental material was evaluated for northern corn leaf blight disease response across two seasons during the rainy seasons of 2023 and 2024. The ANOVA results and estimates of genetic variability parameters indicated the existence of a substantial amount of genetic variability. High heritability and high genetic advance as percent mean suggested the presence of additive genetic effects in controlling the disease response. GWAS analysis was performed employing GLM, MLM, CMLM, MLMM, FarmCPU and BLINK. The results from GWAS identified 74 marker associations from GLM and FarmCPU models. The QTN S1_7356398, located on chromosome 1, identified from the GLM model, explained 12.12 percent of phenotypic variation. Another QTN S2_51098833 located on chromosome 2, identified from the FarmCPU model, explained 6.14 percent variation. Remaining associations explained lesser PVE, suggesting the quantitative inheritance of NCLB resistance. Candidate gene identification was performed by keeping B73 as a reference genome. The identified QTNs from the current study were found to be located in annotated genes with functional domains implicated in defence mechanisms in maize and other crops. Many candidate genes, including chitinase, putative serine/threonine protein kinase, and aldehyde oxygenase, were identified and found to play a crucial role in plant defence mechanisms against several biotic and abiotic stresses. Full article

Background: There is varied practice with Disease-Modifying Treatment (DMT) for Multiple Sclerosis worldwide. We evaluated early DMT initiation within a real-world population for long-term outcomes. Method: The Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Register (SMSR) identified participants diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) in 2010/2011. We compared two groups of propensity-matched participants at diagnosis, who went on to receive either early treatment (<12 months from diagnosis) or late/never treated. Participants underwent detailed clinicoradiological evaluation and patient-reported outcome measures 11–13 years post-diagnosis. The primary outcome was mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Results: The SMSR identified 298 participants. A total of 141 had complete retrospective clinical data and 81 agreed to participate, with 32 successfully matched (16 pairs). Median time on DMT was 10.8 years (range 0.4–12.5) for those treated early and 4.0 (0–11.5) years for the late/never-treated group. A total of 7/16 (44%) never received a DMT of those not treated early. All early-treated participants commenced first-line DMT (5/16 subsequently escalated to second-line DMTs). Of those treated later (9/16), 7/9 participants (78%) commenced first-line and 2/9 s-line DMT. There were no serious adverse events identified with any DMT. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome, with mean EDSS 3.93 in the late/never-treated group vs. 4.53 in the early-treated group at 11–13 years post-diagnosis (p = 0.57). There was no significant difference in median change in EDSS from the time of diagnosis to prospective assessment between early and late/never-treated groups. Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores for cognition favoured no early treatment (p = 0.02), whilst satisfaction with treatment choice favoured early treatment (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Our cohort did not show clear benefit with early DMT in RRMS, contrasting with other larger studies, with no significant differences between early and late/never-treated patients on clinicoradiological outcomes. Possible explanations include confounding by variables not included in matching and group allocation based on diagnosis date rather than first clinical symptom. Most participants were treated with injectable DMTs, not in keeping with current practice. A prospective, long-term follow-up deep phenotyping study would help characterise benefits of early DMT use, but this is clearly challenging in practice. Full article

Background: The new challenges facing the healthcare sector require nursing leaders who are prepared to respond to patients’ healthcare needs and keep professionals motivated and satisfied while meeting the organisation’s objectives. To overcome these challenges, interest has grown in positive leadership styles, which in turn has sparked interest in authentic leadership. This line of thought on leadership has been predictive of various positive outcomes in the hospital context. Objective: Examine the characteristics of authentic leadership among nurses in the hospital context based on scientific evidence. Methods: Scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute, consisting of three stages of research. First, a search was conducted in MEDLINE Ultimate, CINHAL Ultimate and MedicLatina through the EBSCOHost platform, LILACS and RCAAP for grey literature. Then, using the same keywords, we conducted a search in Scopus and ScienceDirect. Both searches covered the period between 2019 and 2024. Studies were included if they focused on authentic leadership in nurses working in hospital contexts; non-empirical studies, reviews, and those outside the nursing field were excluded. Results: Sixteen articles were included, 13 of which were cross-sectional, descriptive and/or correlational, 2 were quasi-experimental and 1 employed an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis approach. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was used in a total of 11 articles. The studies showed that authentic leadership by nurses in a hospital context is significantly associated with relevant organisational and individual variables, such as team performance, organisational commitment, job satisfaction, reduced burnout, and the promotion of healthy work environments. The data also revealed discrepancies between the perceptions of leaders and their subordinates. Conclusion: Authentic leaders have a positive impact on the quality of nursing care, patient health outcomes, professional satisfaction and motivation to lead and the achievement of healthcare institution goals. Consequently, authentic leadership is a fundamental pillar for strengthening nursing teams, promoting trust, well-being and improvements in the quality of care. Nevertheless, the strength of the evidence is limited, given the predominance of cross-sectional studies and potential contextual biases, which should be considered when interpreting the findings. Full article

This paper presents a novel submersible seaweed cultivation infrastructure designed to enhance seaweed growth through deep cycling. The system consists of a square grid of ropes for growing seaweed, supported by buoys, mooring lines, and innovative SubTractors—movable buoys that enable controlled submersion. The grid ropes are stabilized by four SubTractors, an array of small buoys, intermediate sinker weights and mooring lines anchored to the seabed. The SubTractors facilitate dynamic positioning, allowing the seaweed rope grid to be submerged below the thermocline—at depths of 100 m or more—where nutrient-rich deep water accelerates seaweed growth in offshore sites with low surface nutrient levels. Small buoys attached to the grid provide buoyancy, keeping the seaweed rope grid planar and near the surface to optimize photosynthesis when not submerged. This paper first describes the seaweed cultivation infrastructure, then develops a hydroelastic model of the proposed cultivation system, followed by a hydroelastic analysis under varying wave and current conditions. The results provide insights into the system’s dynamic behaviour, informing engineering design and structural optimization. Full article

This study determines the role of integrated reporting (Int_Re) in affecting firm value and investigates how CEO integrity (CEOI) moderates this effect among firms listed on the Indian stock exchange. The sample consists of 150 firms listed on the Indian stock exchange who published an integrated report between the years of 2018–19 and 2022–23. This study relies on secondary data from company websites. The outcome of the multiple regression analysis reveals that there is a significant positive influence of Int_Re on firm value. The analysis also found that CEOI strengthens the relationship between Int_Re and firm value, attributable to ethical leadership exhibited by the CEO. There are some future practical implications that the study proposes: Indian firms need to engage in Int_Re practices to a greater extent; firms need to encourage ethical leadership at the executive level consistent with Int_Re; supervisory boards are limited by an obligation to monitor Int_Re adoption and CEO performance to keep the organization in line with its commitments to transparency, character, and sustainable value creation in the changing corporate governance landscape in India. Full article

In coastal hot and humid regions, the steel pin of AC porcelain insulators often suffers from severe electrochemical corrosion due to surface contamination and moisture, leading to insulator string breakage. Contrary to the common belief that AC corrosion is negligible, this study reveals the significant role of the DC component in leakage currents and the synergy of this DC component with localized high current densities in accelerating corrosion, based on field investigations and experiments. Using a simulation model based on the Suwarno equivalent circuit, it is shown that non-linear contamination causes highly non-sinusoidal leakage currents, with total harmonic distortion up to 40% and a DC component of approximately 22%. To mitigate this, a conductive silicone rubber coating is proposed to block moisture and distribute leakage current evenly, keeping surface current density below the critical threshold of 100 A/m². Simulations indicate that a 2 mm thick coating with conductivity around 10⁻⁴ S/m effectively reduces current density to a safe level. Accelerated corrosion tests confirm that this conductive coating significantly suppresses pitting corrosion caused by high current densities, outperforming traditional insulating coatings. This study presents a practical and effective approach for protecting AC insulators in harsh environments, contributing to improved transmission line reliability in high-temperature and high-humidity regions. Full article

The Knanaya Christians, also referred to as Thekkumbhagar or Southists, represent a distinct endogamous group within the wider community of Saint Thomas Christians of southern India. Their origins can be traced to the arrival of Jewish Christians led by Knai Thoma or Thomas of Cana, who migrated to the Malabar Coast from Persia in 345CE. Upon their arrival, they mingled with the established Christian population of the Malabar Coast, known as the Vadakkumbhagar or the Northists, whose roots extend back to the apostolic mission of Saint Thomas in the 1st century CE. However, the Knanaya Christians have successfully preserved their unique identity through the practice of endogamy, which keeps their bloodlines separate from those of the Vadakkumbhagar, while also maintaining a spiritual connection and liturgical continuity with the latter. Despite their matrimonial exclusivity, the Knanaya Christians have followed the same developmental path as the larger Thomas Christian community, sharing liturgical practices, enjoying similar privileges, facing the same challenges during the Portuguese era, experiencing divisions in the 17th century, and striving to preserve their identity. The migration of this endogamous community to other parts of the world since the mid-20th century, in similar lines with different groups of Thomas Christians, has posed challenges to their traditions and practices, especially endogamy. This paper explores how Knanaya Christians maintain and adapt their endogamous marriage traditions in transnational settings by focusing on how Knanaya religious authorities and lay members collectively negotiate these tensions—whether by reinforcing endogamy or adapting it in response to shifting realities in North American settings. Full article

This article presents an optimization of the explicit Euler method for a heat conduction model. The starting point of the paper was the analysis of the limitations of the explicit Euler scheme and the classical CFL condition in the transient domain, which pointed to the oscillation occurring in the intermediate states. To eliminate this phenomenon, we introduced the No-Sway Threshold given for the Fourier number (K), stricter than the CFL, which guarantees the monotonic approximation of the temperature–time evolution. Thereafter, by means of the identical inequalities derived based on the Method of Equating Coefficients, we determined the optimal values of $\Delta t$ and $\Delta x$. Finally, for the construction of the variable grid spacing (M2), we applied the equation expressing the R of the identical inequality system and accordingly specified the thickness of the material elements ($\Delta \xi$). As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the procedure on an application case with major simplifications: during an emergency shutdown of the Flexblue® SMR, the temperature of the air inside the tank instantly becomes 200 °C, while the initial temperatures of the water and the steel are 24 °C. For a 50.003 mm × 50.003 mm surface patch of the tank, we keep the leftmost and rightmost material elements of the uniform-grid (M1) and variable-grid (M2) single-line models at constant temperature; we scale the results up to the total external surface (6714.39 m²). In the M2 case, a larger portion of the heat power taken up from the air is expended on heating the metal, while the rise in the heat power delivered to the seawater is more moderate. At the 3000th min, the steel-wall temperature in M1 falls between 26.229 °C and 25.835 °C, whereas in M2 the temperature gradient varies between 34.648 °C and 30.041 °C, which confirms the advantage of the combination of variable grid spacing and the No-Sway Threshold. Full article

With the expansion of the scale of ultra-high-voltage transmission lines and the complexity of the corridor environment, the traditional manual inspection method faces serious challenges in terms of efficiency, cost, and safety. In this study, based on power laser inspection technology with a high-precision servo control system, a complete set of laser point cloud processing technology is proposed, covering three core aspects: transmission line extraction, scene recovery, and operation status monitoring. In transmission line extraction, combining the traditional clustering algorithm with the improved PointNet++ deep learning model, a classification accuracy of 92.3% is achieved in complex scenes; in scene recovery, 95.9% and 94.4% of the internal point retention rate of transmission lines and towers, respectively, and a vegetation denoising rate of 7.27% are achieved by RANSAC linear fitting and density filtering algorithms; in the condition monitoring segment, the risk detection of tree obstacles based on KD-Tree acceleration and the arc sag calculation of the hanging chain line model realize centimetre-level accuracy of hidden danger localisation and keep the arc sag error within 5%. Experiments show that this technology significantly improves the automation level and decision-making accuracy of transmission line inspection and provides effective support for intelligent operation and maintenance of the power grid. Full article

A damping spacer rod is a key protective device in ultrahigh voltage transmission lines, which not only keeps the distance of split wires and limits the whipping and collision caused by the relative motion between sub-wires, but also inhibits the vibration of wires. This study aims to solve the problem of typical faults, such as loose wire clamps, that are prone to occur in damping isolation rods during long-term operation in ultra-high voltage transmission lines. Taking the spacer rod FGZ-450/34B as the object, a new high-pressure casting process for spacer rod frames is explored. The spacer rods were simulated by using the ABAQUS finite element software to predict the stress distribution and identify the dangerous sections. Based on this, the mold process was optimized to avoid die-casting defects. Meanwhile, mechanical property tests were carried out on the products produced by the two types of molds. The research finds that by optimizing the mold process, the die-casting quality of the dangerous section of the spacer rod can be effectively improved, and the best high-pressure die-casting scheme has been obtained through comparison. This research achievement provides technical support for enhancing the anti-vibration performance, anti-loosening reliability, short-circuit current thermal shock resistance, and anti-ultraviolet aging performance of damping isolation rods. It is of great significance for ensuring the stable operation of ultra-high voltage transmission lines and improving the production process level of damping isolation rods. Full article

Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) is increasingly important for maximizing capacity of existing overhead transmission lines. Conventional thermal rating methods, such as IEEE 738 and model conductors as single, isothermal cylinders and offer limited guidance for multi-conductor bundles, not fully capturing the complex aerodynamic and thermal interactions present in high-voltage networks. This study addresses these limitations by presenting a high-fidelity, two-dimensional coupled thermal-fluid model developed in COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b. Single and bundled configurations (two-conductor, three-conductor and four-conductor) are analyzed under steady-state conditions using the Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, accounting for sub-conductor spacing, wind speed, and interactions between temperature distribution and airflow. Simulation results are compared with ampacity calculations from relevant standards to evaluate limitations of simplified models. Results show that leeward conductors reach temperatures up to ~4 °C higher than windward conductors, forming the thermal bottleneck, with peak temperatures of ~103.3 °C versus ~99 °C for single conductors. For bundled conductors, the current required to keep the maximum temperature at 100 °C was calculated, and this value was found to be approximately 3% lower than the current predicted by IEEE 738. The study emphasizes the importance of multiphysics, position-aware simulations to prevent overloading and optimize transmission line utilization. Full article

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems require accurate and globally consistent mapping to ensure the long-term stable operation of robots or vehicles. However, for the commercial applications of indoor sweeping robots, the system needs to maintain accuracy while keeping computational and storage requirements low to ensure cost controllability. This paper proposes a dual-point-cloud-registration SLAM based on line features for the mapping of a mobile robot, named DPCR-SLAM. The front-end employs an improved Point-to-Line Iterative Closest Point (PLICP) algorithm for point cloud registration. It first aligns the point cloud and updates the submap. Subsequently, the submap is aligned with the regional map, which is then updated accordingly. The back-end uses the association between regional maps to perform graph optimization and update the global map. The experimental results show that, in the application scenario of indoor sweeping robots, the proposed method reduces the map storage space by 76.3%, the point cloud processing time by 55.8%, the graph optimization time by 77.7%, and the average localization error by 10.9% compared to the Cartographer, which is commonly used in the industry. Full article

This paper presents a novel design for precise vertical landing of drones based on the detection of three phase shifts in the range of ±180°. The design has three inputs to which the signal transmitted from an oscillator located at the landing point arrives with different delays. The circuit increases the aerial tracking volume relative to that achieved by detectors with theoretical unambiguous detection ranges of ±90°. The phase shift measurement circuit uses an analog phase detector (mixer), detecting a maximum range of ±90°and a double multiplication of the input signals, in phase and phase-shifted, without the need to fulfill the quadrature condition. The calibration procedure, phase detector curve modeling, and calculation of the input signal phase shift are significantly simplified by the use of an automatic gain control on each branch, dwhich keeps input amplitudes to the analog phase detectors constant. A simple program to determine phase shifts and guidance instructions is proposed, which could be integrated into the same flight control platform, thus avoiding the need to add additional processing components. A prototype has been manufactured in C band to explain the details of the procedure design. The circuit uses commercial circuits and microstrip technology, avoiding the crossing of lines by means of switches, which allows the design topology to be extrapolated to much higher frequencies. Calibration and measurements at 5.3 GHz show a dynamic range greater than 50 dB and a non-ambiguous detection range of ±180°. These specifications would allow one to track the drone during the landing maneuver in an inverted cone formed by a surface with an 11 m radius at 10 m high and the landing point, when 4 cm between RF inputs is considered. The errors of the phase shifts used in the landing maneuver are less than ±3°, which translates into 1.7% losses over the detector theoretical range in the worst case. The circuit has a frequency bandwidth of 4.8 GHz to 5.6 GHz, considering a 3 dB variation in the input power when the AGC is limiting the output signal to 0 dBm at the circuit reference point of each branch. In addition, the evolution of phases in the landing maneuver is shown by means of a small simulation program in which the drone trajectory is inside and outside the tracking range of ±180°. Full article