Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is a key enabler for low-latency services in the cellular network. It enables service requests to be served at the edge without reaching the Internet. However, this ...service model allows data traffic to bypass conventional security functions deployed at the core network, and may pose security threats. To examine its security impact, we analyze current security functions that span authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA), and access control, and then identify two major issues. First, conventional user authentication methods prevent MEC applications from achieving low-latency service offering. Second, current cellular authorization, accounting, and access control mechanisms hardly secure MEC traffic. We thus propose a transparent security design called MECsec to secure the MEC with low latency in the cellular network. It contains three main components: cellular-based OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication, bitmap-based authorization/accounting, and two-tier hash-based access control. Especially, its transparent design does not need any changes on current cellular operations, and is standard-compliant. We implement and evaluate the MECsec prototype on an MEC-integrated LTE network architecture developed based on the OpenAirInterface (OAI) cellular platform. Our results show that the cellular-based OIDC can reduce delays of current authentication methods by up to 88.3%, and the other components can successfully defend against possible threats with negligible overhead.
We employed temperature‐controlled Raman spectroscopy to obtain the vibrational structures of the linear tricobalt metal‐string complex Co3(dpa)4Cl2 (dpa = di(2‐pyridyl) amide) and to identify its ...low‐lying electronic states. The density functional theory (DFT) method B3LYP*‐D3 was used to obtain the molecular structures, vibrational frequencies, and electronic levels of varied spin states. Co3(dpa)4Cl2 has sym‐ and unsym‐forms of Co–Co metal bonding. The Raman intensities of pyridyl breathing bands appeared to be sensitive to the coordinated Co atom and hence could be used to identify both forms. In s‐Co3 crystal, the split pyridyl Raman breathing bands indicated both symmetric and unsymmetric forms. This is explained that the molecule populated both the 2A2 (the ground state) and possibly 2B (reduced symmetry of 2E) states even at 77 K. The 2B state is coupled to the 4B state, which has an unsymmetric Co–Co bond. As the temperature increased to 423 K, the intensity of the low‐wavenumber pyridyl breathing band further increased and was attributed to the 4B state. At 77–323 K, the Raman spectra of u‐Co3 crystal populated mostly in the 4B state. From the SERS measurements, the samples were prepared in solution phase, and u‐Co3 displayed spectral behavior similar to that of s‐Co3, implying that the global minimal geometry is a symmetric form.
Raman curves of s‐ and u‐Co3(dpa)4Cl2 crystal at 77 K in the low wavenumber region are presented. The Co–Co stretch band is at 314 cm−1 in the unsymmetric form. No conversion between these forms is observed in the temperature range of 77–623 K.
Presenilin-1 (PSEN1) is a crucial subunit within the γ-secretase complex and regulates β-amyloid (Aβ) production. Accumulated evidence indicates that n-butylidenephthalide (BP) acts effectively to ...reduce Aβ levels in neuronal cells that are derived from trisomy 21 (Ts21) induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. This article aims to investigate the possible mechanisms through which BP ameliorates the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and verify the effectiveness of BP through animal experiments. Results from RNA microarray analysis showed that BP treatment in Ts21 iPSC-derived neuronal cells reduced long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CYP3A43-2 levels and increased microRNA (miR)-29b-2-5p levels. Bioinformatics tool prediction analysis, biotin-labeled miR-29b-2-5p pull-down assay, and dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed a direct negative regulatory effect for miRNA29b-2-5p on lnc-RNA-CYP3A43-2 and PSEN1. Moreover, BP administration improved short-term memory and significantly reduced Aβ accumulation in the hippocampus and cortex of 3xTg-AD mice but failed in miR-29b-2-5p mutant mice generated by CRISP/Cas9 technology. In addition, analysis of brain samples from patients with AD showed a decrease in microRNA-29b-2-5p expression in the frontal cortex region. Our results provide evidence that the LncCYP3A43-2/miR29-2-5p/PSEN1 network might be involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying BP-induced Aβ reduction.
While Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) has been studied in many domains, its application in special education remains limited. This study examined the TPACK of in-service ...teachers at special education schools for students with visual impairments (SVI, N = 415) and further compared the TPACK of Taiwanese and Chinese teachers. Based on both Taiwanese and Chinese samples, we revised and validated a TPACK survey for teachers in special education schools for SVI. Results showed that special education schools for SVI teachers knew content knowledge and teaching strategies better, however, they were less knowledgeable about technological tool applications. Furthermore, Chinese teachers scored higher than Taiwanese teachers in terms of integrated knowledge (TCK/TPACK) and content knowledge and teaching strategies (CKS). Implications were put forward regarding school leadership, peer sharing, and interactions between Taiwanese and Chinese special education in-service teachers.
The rapid development of digitalization has introduced greater variability and trust-related risks to the banking industry. Enhancing customers’ perception of value co-creation with banks is a ...critical issue that requires attention. This study aims to explore the impact and mechanism of a bank’s social responsibility practices on its customers’ value co-creation in the digital context. A cross-level analysis model was developed and analyzed based on in-depth surveys of 30 bank managers and 262 valid customers. The results reveal that (1) CSR practices have no impact on customer value co-creation in the digital context; (2) CSR practices have a positive impact on customers’ perception of a company’s social responsibility; (3) customers’ perception of a company’s social responsibility has a positive impact on customer value co-creation; and (4) customers’ perception plays a mediating role between CSR practices and customer value co-creation. Although corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly important in the current digital economy, our study found that it does not necessarily lead to more customer value co-creation. Banks must enable customers to perceive their CSR practices in order to foster value co-creation. This study has important implications for banking practitioners seeking to strengthen their social responsibility practices and create value with their customers in the digital era.
Background
Among the novel robotic platforms, the Hugo RAS system is the second most studied platform, next to the da Vinci system, and we aim to address our experiences in radical prostatectomy (RP) ...with the Hugo RAS system.
Methods
We recorded our first 12 cases of prostate cancer undergoing RP with the Hugo RAS system. The median console time was 145 min and median hospital stay was 7 days. Hedge’ g was applied to search for the cut‐off case in four parameters in surgeries.
Results
Pre‐console preparation was significantly improved after the first seven cases, and the console time was remarkably shortened after the first two cases. The intraoperative pause for trouble shooting was remarkably shortened after the first three cases.
Conclusions
We found that RP with the Hugo RAS system was feasible, and the learning curve was short as surgeons may benefit from the previous experience with the da Vinci system.
Although butylidenephthalide (BP) is an efficient anticancer drug, its poor bioavailability renders it ineffective for treating drug-resistant brain tumors. However, this problem is overcome through ...the use of noninvasive delivery systems, including intranasal administration. Herein, the bioavailability, drug stability, and encapsulation efficiency (EE, up to 95%) of BP were improved by using cyclodextrin-encapsulated BP in liposomal formulations (CDD1). The physical properties and EE of the CDD1 system were investigated via dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity was examined via MTT assay, and the cellular uptake was observed using fluorescence microscopy. The CDD1 system persisted for over 8 h in tumor cells, which was a considerable improvement in the retention of the BP-containing cyclodextrin or the BP-containing liposomes, thereby indicating a higher BP content in CDD1. Nanoscale CDD1 formulations were administered intranasally to nude mice that had been intracranially implanted with temozolomide-resistant glioblastoma multiforme cells, resulting in increased median survival time. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that drug biodistribution via intranasal delivery increased the accumulation of BP 10-fold compared to oral delivery methods. Therefore, BP/cyclodextrin/liposomal formulations have potential clinical applications for treating drug-resistant brain tumors.
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) has caused several epidemics of hand, foot and mouth diseases (HFMD) in Asia and now is being recognized as an important neurotropic virus. Effective medications and ...prophylactic vaccine against EV71 infection are urgently needed. Based on the success of inactivated poliovirus vaccine, a prototype chemically inactivated EV71 vaccine candidate has been developed and currently in human phase 1 clinical trial.
In this report, we present the development of a serum-free cell-based EV71 vaccine. The optimization at each step of the manufacturing process was investigated, characterized and quantified. In the up-stream process development, different commercially available cell culture media either containing serum or serum-free was screened for cell growth and virus yield using the roller-bottle technology. VP-SFM serum-free medium was selected based on the Vero cell growth profile and EV71 virus production. After the up-stream processes (virus harvest, diafiltration and concentration), a combination of gel-filtration liquid chromatography and/or sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation down-stream purification processes were investigated at a pilot scale of 40 liters each. Although the combination of chromatography and sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation produced extremely pure EV71 infectious virus particles, the overall yield of vaccine was 7-10% as determined by a VP2-based quantitative ELISA. Using chromatography as the downstream purification, the virus yield was 30-43%. To retain the integrity of virus neutralization epitopes and the stability of the vaccine product, the best virus inactivation was found to be 0.025% formalin-treatment at 37 °C for 3 to 6 days. Furthermore, the formalin-inactivated virion vaccine candidate was found to be stable for >18 months at 4 °C and a microgram of viral proteins formulated with alum adjuvant could induce strong virus-neutralizing antibody responses in mice, rats, rabbits, and non-human primates.
These results provide valuable information supporting the current cell-based serum-free EV71 vaccine candidate going into human Phase I clinical trials.
The measurement of growth factors released in a culture medium is considered to be an attractive non-invasive approach, apart from the embryo morphology, to identify the condition of an embryo ...development after fertilization in vitro (IVF), but the available embryo culture medium in the current method is only a few microlitres. This small sample volume, also of small concentration, makes difficult the application of a conventional detection method, such as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A reliable detection of the growth factor from each embryo culture medium of such a small concentration hence remains a challenge. Here for the first time we report the results of measurement of not just one, but two, growth factors, human IL-1β and human TNF-α, from an individual droplet of embryo culture medium with a bead-based digital microfluidic chip. The required sample volume for a single measurement is only 520 nL; the total duration of the on-chip process is less than 40 min. Using the culture media of human embryos with normal morphologic features, we found that the concentrations of TNF-α change little from day 3 to day 5–6, but the concentrations of IL-1β for some embryos might double from day 3 to day 5–6. For other embryos even with similar normal morphologic features, some growth factors, such as IL-1β, might exhibit different expressions during the culture period. Those growth factors could serve to distinguish the development conditions of each embryo, not merely from an observation of embryo morphology.
•Two growth factors from the same single human embryo culture medium droplet are successfully detected for the first time.•The proposed chip achieves low sample volume demand, short total process time, and the low limit of detection.•Embryos with similar normal morphology during culture period, some growth factors may change evidently, such as IL-1β.
A new 2
H
-pyran-2-one derivative, 4-hydroxy-6-(3-methoxyphenethyl)-2
H
-pyran-2-one (
1
), has been isolated from the rhizomes of
Alpinia pricei
var.
pricei
, together with six known compounds, ...dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (
2
), 5,6-dehydrokawain (
3
), 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one (
4
), bisdemethoxycurcumin (
5
), apigenin (
6
), and kaempferol (
7
). The structure of new compound
1
was determined through spectroscopic and MS analyses. Among the isolates, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one (
4
), bisdemethoxycurcumin (
5
), apigenin (
6
), and kaempferol (
7
) showed potent inhibition with IC
50
values of 25.47 ± 2.04, 22.39 ± 1.83, 14.60 ± 0.87, and 18.44 ± 1.50 μM, respectively, against LPS-induced NO generation.
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