Search Results (1,007)

A highly potent antitoxin for botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) serotypes A and B has been developed that comprises three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting BoNT/A and three targeting BoNT/B. These oligoclonal antibody combinations neutralize toxin by simultaneously binding non-overlapping epitopes, thereby promoting rapid toxin clearance. All six mAbs use the same human Fc and framework and have been individually manufactured using the same expression platform and purification process. To minimize the time and labor required to produce the divalent antitoxin, we tested a co-expression and co-purification strategy for the three mAbs per serotype. The mAbs were expressed in CHO-K1 cells, and the media were optimized for co-expression in 10 L bioreactors. Chromatographic co-purification consisted of Protein A capture, followed by strong anion exchange chromatography in flow-through mode and cation-exchange chromatography in bind-elute mode. Co-expression experiments demonstrated that expression of the three anti-BoNT/A antibodies remained within approximately ±30% of the optimal equimolar ratio, whereas the anti-BoNT/B antibodies showed greater variability. Downstream purification steps achieved recoveries greater than 95% per chromatographic step, resulting in overall process yields of approximately 63–75%. This strategy provided sufficient purity of all six mAbs while largely preserving their relative ratios. These results demonstrate the feasibility of producing oligoclonal antitoxin antibodies using co-expression and shared purification strategies. Such approaches may simplify the manufacturing of antibody cocktails while maintaining product quality and biological activity. Full article

The growing interconnection of critical engineering infrastructure through IoT introduces unprecedented exposure to cyber threats. Emerging quantum computing capabilities pose a transformative risk to classical cryptographic primitives such as Rivest–Shamir–Adleman and Elliptic-Curve Cryptography, which underpin secure communication and device authentication in industrial control systems, power grids, transportation networks, and healthcare infrastructure. This paper investigates quantum-resistant encryption, often termed post-quantum cryptography (PQC), as a sustainable security paradigm for IoT communication within critical systems. By analyzing lattice-based, code-based, multivariate, and hash-based schemes, the study evaluates trade-offs between computational cost, memory footprint, and latency constraints intrinsic to resource-limited IoT nodes. A hybrid architectural framework integrating the National Institute of Standards and Technology-standardized algorithms (e.g., Cryptographic Suite for Algebraic Lattices—Kyber, Dilithium) with lightweight symmetric primitives (e.g., Ascon, GIFT block cipher in Combined Feedback mode) is proposed for secure data transmission across heterogeneous IoT layers. Experimental simulations benchmark key-exchange throughput, ciphertext expansion, and resilience against quantum-adversarial models, demonstrating up to 65% reduction in handshake latency compared to baseline lattice implementations under constrained conditions. The paper concludes with policy and engineering recommendations for the adoption of quantum-resistant IoT protocols in energy, transportation, and industrial automation sectors, highlighting alignment with global PQC migration roadmaps and IEC 62443 cybersecurity standards. Full article

Standard 16000-8 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 16000-8) specifies the assessment of ventilation performance using age-of-air concepts and tracer gas techniques. Since its publication in 2007, ventilation systems and assessment practices have evolved considerably, driven by increased use of mixed-mode and decentralized ventilation and advances in modeling and measurement technologies. This review examines how ISO 16000-8 can be modernized to harmonize with adjacent ventilation and indoor air quality standards while remaining applicable to contemporary systems and emerging approaches. A structured literature search of Web of Science and Google Scholar identified 76 studies (2007–2026) that engage with ISO 16000-8, age-of-air metrics, or tracer gas-based assessment. The literature was synthesized qualitatively using the framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), classifying studies into performance assessment, measurement–simulation convergence, and standardization discourse. The synthesis shows that while the conceptual foundations of ISO 16000-8 remain valid, assumptions of homogeneous mixing and steady-state conditions are often violated in real buildings, leading to inconsistent application of age-of-air indicators. Field and laboratory studies under point-source conditions demonstrate reduced ventilation effectiveness of 0.73–0.82 in classrooms and 0.5–1.4 in various indoor environments, instead of ≈1 for perfect mixing. Spatial heterogeneity is also observed in mixed-mode systems, with an efficiency around 0.5. In decentralized and façade-integrated systems, air exchange effectiveness deviates from theoretical expectations, indicating inhomogeneous air renewal and short-circuiting. Field measurements show configuration-dependent discrepancies in air exchange rates (e.g., carbon dioxide vs. perfluorocarbon tracer methods under varying door positions), while wind induces time-varying infiltration. Collectively, the literature demonstrates systematic violations of well-mixed and steady-state assumptions underpinning ISO 16000-8. Fragmentation between ventilation performance standards and indoor air quality regulation limits practical uptake. Emerging experimental, numerical, and data-driven methods complement ISO 16000-8, provided applicability domains and uncertainties are addressed. The review concludes that ISO 16000-8 should be modernized toward a harmonized, performance-based framework integrating diverse ventilation systems and assessment technologies. Full article

A novel ocellatin-P1 isoform was isolated and purified from the skin secretion of the pepper frog Leptodactylus labyrinthicus. The crude skin secretion was fractionated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using a C₈ column and the peptide was subsequently purified on a reversed-phase C₁₈ column. Ocellatin-LB3 (as this isoform was named) was chemically sequenced by Edman degradation. This peptide is a linear C-terminally amidated molecule composed of 25 amino acid residues: ¹GLLDTLKGAAKNVVGGLASKVMEKL²⁵-NH₂. Synthetic ocellatin-LB3 was active against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and inactive against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis. In addition, the peptide reduced the Trypanosoma cruzi infection in L6 cells. At 64 µM it did not reduce erythrocytes or polymorphonuclear leukocytes, but did reduce mononuclear leukocyte counts, as detected by flow cytometry. No hemolytic activity was observed in red blood cells even at 128 µM. The peptide exhibited limited antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 and HeLa tumor cells at 128 µM. Pre-incubation with the peptide appeared to enhance N-formylmethionine-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced migration, indicating a potential additive or synergistic effect on human neutrophils. The three-dimensional structure of ocellatin-LB3 was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the peptide adopts an α-helical structure spanning residues Leu³–Lys²⁴, which remains largely preserved even at 95 °C. NMR Hydrogen/Deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments suggest that ocellatin-LB3 adopts a preferential orientation when interacting with SDS micelles. Based on the similarity among ocellatins, and on the physicochemical and structural properties of this peptide, a possible membrane-mediated mode of action is proposed, although this remains to be experimentally validated. Full article

This article addresses recent critiques of secularisation as a linear explanatory model for religious change in European societies, proposing that contemporary artistic creation is a fertile site for observing new interrelations between the secular and the religious. Focusing on João Madureira’s Missa de Pentecostes (2010), composed for the ensemble ‘Sete Lágrimas’ and part of a cultural project by the Roman Catholic community of ‘Capela do Rato’ (Lisbon), the study analyses how this work creatively reconfigures the traditional Mass form. By juxtaposing the Ordinary sections (e.g., Kyrie, Gloria) with the Proper sections (e.g., Introitus, Sequentia), which incorporate non-canonical Portuguese poetic texts, the composition creates a hybrid space in which ritual and artistic modes interact and mutually re-legitimise each other. Using a heterological interpretative framework inspired by Michel de Certeau, the article highlights the tensions and exchanges between ritual and aesthetic logics. The analysis draws on key theoretical concepts including Jean Rancière’s notions of consensus and dissensus, Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of ritual and habitus, Paul Ricoeur’s philosophy of translation as hospitality, and Pierre Lévy’s concept of universalism without totality. The findings suggest that Madureira’s work enacts a process of poetic re-signification of religious memory, opening new possibilities for hybrid ritual–artistic practices. These practices transform ritual time-space into an interface that fosters plural and non-totalising forms of spiritual belonging. Full article

This paper develops a unified finite-bit distributed optimization framework for UAV swarms operating over bandwidth-limited communication graphs. We consider strongly convex and smooth global objectives decomposed over local UAV cost functions and study three communication-efficient algorithmic regimes. First, we design a quantized distributed gradient-tracking descent scheme with fixed finite-bit communication and show that, under bounded quantization errors, the method converges R-linearly to a quantization-dependent neighborhood of the global optimizer. Second, we introduce an adaptive quantization strategy that dynamically adjusts the number of transmitted bits according to the current convergence stage. By forcing the quantization distortion to decay proportionally to the optimization error, the proposed adaptive scheme recovers exact linear convergence to the optimal solution while substantially reducing the cumulative communication load. Third, we develop a fully distributed 1-bit communication mode in which UAVs exchange only sign information and use coordinate-wise majority voting to aggregate both descent and consensus directions. The robust linear-contraction property is proved to a small neighborhood under a sign-Polyak–Lojasiewicz condition and a probabilistic majority-correctness assumption. Full article

The ongoing substance use crisis in the United States involves a broad range of illicit and prescription drugs, including opioids, stimulants, sedatives, and various psychoactive and non-psychoactive compounds. Traditional surveillance methods rely on self-reported data, which could lead to bias and recall inconsistencies. Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a powerful, non-invasive tool for monitoring community-level drug use, offering near real-time estimates and the potential to serve as an early warning system. However, challenges such as analyte degradation, wastewater variability, and matrix effects can affect data quality and comparability across regions. This study presents a standardized, practical workflow for multi-drug (n = 52) detection in wastewater, aiming to minimize analyte loss and improve reproducibility. Composite samples were collected from multiple U.S. cities, transported on ice, and extracted using solid-phase extraction. Extraction efficiencies were compared using Oasis Hydrophilic-Lipophilic-Balanced and Mixed-mode Cation-Exchange (MCX) cartridges, with the MCX sorbent providing complementary reversed-phase and cation-exchange interactions that enabled the retention of chemically diverse compounds across multiple drug classes. Analysis was performed with an Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography system coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, in which the instrument parameters and critical methodological considerations, including sample handling, transport, column selection, and method validation, are detailed. This work contributes to the development of a robust, scalable protocol for multi-drug surveillance in wastewater, supporting timely, data-driven public health responses and informing national drug policy efforts. Full article

This paper proposes an advanced wind energy conversion and management framework for improving grid integration and mitigating frequency and power fluctuations caused by wind intermittency. The studied system combines a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), a unidirectional Vienna rectifier on the machine side, a Li-ion battery energy storage system, and a bidirectional Vienna rectifier on the grid side. The main scientific challenge addressed in this work is to ensure efficient wind power extraction, secure battery charging/discharging operation, and stable power exchange with the grid under variable operating conditions. To this end, a comprehensive nonlinear state-space model of the overall system is first established. Then, nonlinear controllers based on integral sliding mode principles are developed to guarantee rotor-speed tracking, DC-bus voltage regulation, battery charging current limitation, and active/reactive power control. In addition, an adaptive observer is designed to estimate the battery open-circuit voltage and support the supervision of the state of charge. An energy management strategy is further proposed to coordinate the operating modes according to grid conditions and battery constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach effectively smooths wind power fluctuations, improves grid support capability, and enhances the overall dynamic performance of the wind energy conversion system. Full article

The single-heat-exchanger dual-channel water circulation structure is a critical process configuration in laboratory-scale bioreactors. However, frequent switching between heating and cooling modes and the difficulty of establishing an accurate mechanistic model make precise temperature regulation challenging. To address this issue, a model-free adaptive temperature control scheme based on a second-order universal model is proposed, together with a real-time implementation algorithm. Separate controllers are designed for the heating and cooling processes to ensure accurate regulation under different operating conditions. Pulse-width modulation is employed to achieve equivalent continuous actuation of switching-type actuators, and a temperature dead-zone mechanism is introduced to suppress excessive actuator switching. For practical implementation, controller parameters are initialized offline using particle swarm optimization based on experimental data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method satisfies the ±0.1 °C process requirement while achieving small steady-state fluctuations, low overshoot, and short settling time, thereby verifying its effectiveness for bioreactor temperature regulation under mode-switching conditions. Full article

This work presents an enhancement to the Dynamic Traffic Management (DTM) framework aimed at reducing signaling overhead between SDN controllers in multi-domain cloud environments. This extension is based on the ability to transmit information regarding the amount of balanced traffic and the optimal transfer pattern. In the baseline periodic mode, the system regularly exchanges the compensation vector ($\overrightarrow{C}$) and the reference pattern ($\overrightarrow{R}$). To minimize communication, we define non-periodic modes that restrict $\overrightarrow{C}$ updates and eliminate $\overrightarrow{R}$ transmission entirely. Within these restricted signaling modes, we further distinguish between reactive and proactive operational schemes. Our experimental results demonstrate that reducing the visibility of optimization goals ($\overrightarrow{R}$ and only sign of $\overrightarrow{C}$) and cutting signaling frequency in this manner maintains a comparable level of cost-efficiency. Specifically, the initial evaluation shows that DTM typically decreases transit costs by 8% to 15%, with maximum savings reaching up to 29% when compared to the worst-case default BGP path scenario. These findings suggest that the DTM mechanism can maintain its economic efficiency even with significantly reduced inter-domain coordination. Full article

The Earth’s climate is an open nonlinear system, sustained far from thermodynamic equilibrium by solar radiation and energy and matter exchange among its four major subsystems: atmosphere, ocean, land, and cryosphere. Among these four subsystems, the ocean significantly influences and sustains Earth’s climate over decadal to millennial timescales. Although modern numerical models increasingly capture intricate dynamical details, the fundamental concepts of large-scale ocean variability are less frequently explored. This study revisits ocean circulation through the lens of self-organization theory and synergetics. The key synergetic concepts of mode competition, order parameters, and the slaving principle are interpreted within the framework of general ocean circulation and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The Brusselator, a simplified model of a nonlinear dynamical system initially developed in chemical kinetics, serves as a conceptual analog for ocean circulation energy conversion. Despite its high abstraction, this proxy model effectively captures essential bifurcation behaviors, such as Hopf bifurcation transitions and limit-cycle behaviors. This clarifies feedback regulation, instability, and potential regime transitions in the AMOC. The synthesis in this study is intended for an interdisciplinary readership and highlights the broader applicability of synergetic principles to the complex Earth climate system maintained far from equilibrium. Full article

Traditional markets play an important role in the exchange of plant resources and the preservation of traditional food knowledge. This study documents the diversity of food plants traded in Renmin Market, located in Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi, China, and evaluates their cultural importance using the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI). Field surveys were conducted through market observations and interviews with vendors and local informants. All edible plant species were recorded, including their scientific names, vernacular names, used parts, and modes of consumption. A total of 104 food plant taxa were documented, representing a wide range of plant families and growth forms. The recorded plants were used in four main utilization categories: vegetables, spices, fruits, and beverages. Frequently used plant parts included fruits, leaves, shoots, and underground organs such as roots, rhizomes, and tubers. The CFSI values showed considerable variation in cultural importance among species, ranging from 21.6 to 1764. The highest CFSI values were recorded for Cucurbita pepo, Allium cepa, Cucurbita maxima, and Houttuynia cordata, reflecting their frequent consumption and versatility in local cuisine. Comparative analysis with previous studies in Baise City indicated that 38 species were shared among three markets, while 30 species were recorded exclusively in Renmin Market. These findings highlight the diversity of food plants available in local markets and their importance in maintaining regional culinary traditions and plant-based dietary diversity. Full article

Ensuring the required microclimate parameters is the most critical task in hot climates. In pig farms, air cooling is provided by means of steam-compression chillers or evaporative cooling, which is the simplest way to cool the air. The implementation of evaporative cooling depends largely on the interaction of the media involved in this process. This paper considers the process of interaction of cooling water with the surface of a cellular polycarbonate heat exchanger. A mathematical model describing the process of wetting the sprayed surface of the heat exchanger is obtained. The authors determined the theoretical water flow rate required to provide air cooling for a given operation mode. Experimental trials of a recuperative heat recovery unit with a heat exchanger made of cellular polycarbonate equipped with a water evaporative cooling system were carried out. The authors conducted a comparative assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of evaporative cooling in a heat recovery unit equipped with a polycarbonate heat exchanger versus panel evaporative systems using wetted paper pads at pig farms in the Vladimir and Tambov regions of Russia. The panel evaporative coolers provided a temperature reduction of 11.3 °C without any splashing effect. Under the same operating conditions, the heat recovery unit achieved an inlet air temperature reduction of 10.5 °C, accompanied by splashing. When the water flow rate supplied for evaporation was reduced until the splashing ceased, the cooling temperature drop decreased to 10.1 °C, which is 11% lower, compared with the paper pads. The study revealed characteristic operating modes for the unit that ensure effective air cooling, depending on the cooling water flow rate. Since the prevailing temperature during the system’s main operating time is significantly lower than the design temperature (the absolute temperature maximum), to achieve effective cooling of the supply air without splashing or excessive water waste, the cooling circuit water should circulate at a flow rate within 40 to 63% of the maximum design value. Alternatively, an automated control system should be employed to regulate the water supply based on outdoor air temperature and humidity. Full article

The decentralisation of autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) introduces significant challenges in terms of establishing secure communication and consensus in contested, resource-constrained environments. This research addresses these challenges by conducting a comprehensive performance evaluation of two cryptographic technologies: Messaging Layer Security (MLS) for group key exchange, and threshold signatures (FROST and BLS) for decentralised consensus. Seven leading open-source libraries were methodically assessed through a series of static, network-simulated, and novel bulk-signing benchmarks to measure their computational efficiency and practical resilience. This paper confirms that MLS is a viable solution, capable of supporting the group sizes and throughput requirements of a UAS swarm. It corroborates prior work by identifying the Cisco MLSpp library as unsuitable for dynamic environments due to poorly scaling group management functions, while demonstrating that OpenMLS is a highly performant and scalable alternative. Furthermore, the findings show that operating MLS in a ‘key management’ mode offers a dramatic increase in performance and resilience, a critical trade-off for UAS operations. For consensus, the benchmarks reveal a range of compromises for developers to consider, while identifying the Zcash FROST implementation as the most effective all-around performer for sustained, high-volume use cases due to its balance of security features and efficient verification. Full article

This article presents the results of hydrological research on the Ruda River, which is the largest tributary of the Cetina River, located in the Dinaric karst of Croatia. The hydrology of this river has been altered after the construction of the Orlovac Hydropower Plant (HP) and the Buško Blato reservoir in 1973. The main aim of this study was to generate new knowledge about the hydrological functioning of the river, with a focus on the discharge and water temperature regimes that experienced the most severe alterations. The methodology is based on classical hydrological, statistical, and time-series analysis methods, adapted to the particularities of the study area and available data. Daily and hourly time series of air temperature, precipitation, water temperature, and discharge are analyzed to find trends, change points, inter-annual, seasonal, and sub-daily variations, durations, time shifts, and linear dependencies. The results obtained provide information on the effects of climate change, the duration of diffuse, conduit, and mixed flow, the importance of groundwater exchange, retention times, heat transfer times, and reference water temperatures. It determined the role of the operational mode of the Orlovac HP in discharge from the spring, in inter-annual and sub-annual water redistribution, and in hydropeaking and thermopeaking. The obtained information defines the present state of the Ruda River hydrology and illustrates alterations. Full article