Control Mechanisms Research Articles

Translational control in the spinal cord regulates gene expression and pain hypersensitivity in the chronic phase of neuropathic pain.

Sensitization of spinal nociceptive circuits plays a crucial role in neuropathic pain. This sensitization depends on new gene expression that is primarily regulated via transcriptional and translational control mechanisms. The relative roles of these mechanisms in regulating gene expression in the clinically relevant chronic phase of neuropathic pain are not well understood. Here, we show that changes in gene expression in the spinal cord during the chronic phase of neuropathic pain are substantially regulated at the translational level. Downregulating spinal translation at the chronic phase alleviated pain hypersensitivity. Cell-type-specific profiling revealed that spinal inhibitory neurons exhibited greater changes in translation after peripheral nerve injury compared to excitatory neurons. Notably, increasing translation selectively in all inhibitory neurons or parvalbumin-positive (PV + ) interneurons, but not excitatory neurons, promoted mechanical pain hypersensitivity. Furthermore, increasing translation in PV + neurons decreased their intrinsic excitability and spiking activity, whereas reducing translation in spinal PV + neurons prevented the nerve injury-induced decrease in excitability. Thus, translational control mechanisms in the spinal cord, particularly in inhibitory neurons, play a role in mediating neuropathic pain hypersensitivity.

Characterizing Dissipative Elastic Metamaterials Produced by Additive Manufacturing.

Viscoelastic behavior can be beneficial in enhancing the unprecedented dynamics of polymer metamaterials or, in contrast, negatively impacting their wave control mechanisms. It is, therefore, crucial to properly characterize the viscoelastic properties of a polymer metamaterial at its working frequencies to understand viscoelastic effects. However, the viscoelasticity of polymers is a complex phenomenon, and the data on storage and loss moduli at ultrasonic frequencies are extremely limited, especially for additively manufactured polymers. This work presents a protocol to experimentally characterize the viscoelastic properties of additively manufactured polymers and to use them in the numerical analysis of polymer metamaterials. Specifically, the protocol includes the description of the manufacturing process, experimental procedures to measure the thermal, viscoelastic, and mechanical properties of additively manufactured polymers, and an approach to use these properties in finite-element simulations of the metamaterial dynamics. The numerical results are validated in ultrasonic transmission tests. To exemplify the protocol, the analysis is focused on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and aims at characterizing the dynamic behavior of a simple metamaterial made from it by using fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional (3D) printing. The proposed protocol will be helpful for many researchers to estimate viscous losses in 3D-printed polymer elastic metamaterials that will improve the understanding of material-property relations for viscoelastic metamaterials and eventually stimulate the use of 3D-printed polymer metamaterial parts in various applications.

AUTHENTICATION OF WIRELESS SYSTEMS BASED ON A DRONE SWARM AS A COMPONENT OF THE 5G RADIO ACCESS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

Background. When establishing security measures for telecommunication networks involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characteristics such as high scalability, device diversity, and high mobility should be considered. Authentication is a fundamental property that allows a UAV network to establish secure communication between its core components. Authentication also protects the UAV network from attackers impersonating legitimate UAVs. UAV authentication can further secure the communication channel by preventing impersonation and replay attacks. The design of UAV access control schemes, such as authorization and authentication mechanisms, remains a challenging research problem in UAV networks. The network becomes even more complicated when it interacts with a multitude of UAVs, called a swarm. A swarm by its very nature has a dynamic structure, and this raises the issue of unreliable constraints on UAVs in its composition. A standardized solution for the authentication of a single drone using the new 5G radio network (NR) is known, but for a swarm of drones, this is an open field of research. Per-UAV authentication key sharing as described in 5G NR does not scale across groups of UAVs. Objective. The purpose of this work is to conduct an analytical review and consider approaches to creating procedures for the authentication of a swarm of UAVs/drones with wireless equipment on board for the 5G NR network, taking into account the features of swarm formation and the very requirements for 5G authentication. Methods. Analysis of factors affecting the quality of provision of telecommunication services using UAVs in fifth generation networks. Analysis of well-known publications dedicated to the implementation of 5G networks and the use of drones in them. Comparing the implementation of UAV authentication procedures with on-board wireless equipment in the 5G network. Results. The widespread use of small UAVs, as well as the large expansion of wireless 5G networks, requires new security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. Identification and Authentication for a mobile operator's network using drones allows for secure communication between its main components. This makes it possible to recognize the very drones that participate in the formation of such a network. Drone authentication often protects the communication channel by preventing replay attacks. The development of drone radio access control mechanisms, such as authorization and authentication mechanisms, remain relevant researches for the construction of promising radio access networks involving UAVs. It has been confirmed that the introduction of special group procedures for the authentication of a swarm of drones in the 5G network can significantly improve the quality of the provision of telecommunication services. Conclusions. When working with a swarm of drones, in addition to the usual problems with encryption and authentication (within the swarm and for communication between the swarm and the ground control station), there are additional problems related to the constant change in the composition of the swarm and its hovering position: drones can join or leave a swarm. Depending on the swarm management structure, a different method of authentication will be needed, which makes it difficult to unify such procedures for a swarm of drones. Authentication procedures for a swarm of drones in 5G can be implemented through the following approaches: individual authentication, when each drone as a member of the swarm undergoes authentication with one NR 5G ground station; you can consider such an approach as authentication of a group of IoT devices, if the traffic of the swarm is very limited; group authentication through a leader drone that communicates with swarm members and the 5G operator's network; group distributed authentication through edge drones. Group authentication via a drone leader is presented, where authentication is performed through a mechanism based on distributed delegation to reduce the service traffic directed to the 5G operator's core network. Here, legitimate drones are authorized as proxy delegated signers to perform authentication on behalf of the underlying network. Group distributed authentication through boundary drones is considered, which offers more solutions than the case of authentication through a leader drone. Here, a solution is possible for several cases at once, for example, authentication of new drones (entering the swarm or leaving the swarm) and merging two separate drone swarms.

Capillary versus Venous Glucose for the Screening 1-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test for Gestational and Pregestational Diabetes

Purpose: This study aimed to assess for disparities between capillary blood glucose and plasma glucose for the O’Sullivan 1-hour glucose tests. Methodology: Subjects included were English-speaking, non-incarcerated, adult (>18 years old) pregnant patients who could give informed consent. Patients were approached at their outpatient obstetric office visits. After receiving written and verbal consent, patients were given a 50-g glucose load at the conclusion of their clinic visit. Strictly timed venous and capillary blood draws were performed at the outpatient labs. The venous and capillary blood samples were drawn within less than 5 minutes of each other and analyzed using select chemistry analyzers within less than one hour. Quality control measures, including recalibration, testing, and various quality control mechanisms, were reassessed every 24 hours. Data was tested for normal distribution with the Shapiro-Wilk test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. Paired T-tests were used to compare the average difference between measurements in subjects on GraphPad. Results: One hundred patients had enrolled in the study, with ten dropping out soon after being consented. Patients were lost due to nausea and vomiting with the 50-gram glucose load (4 patients) and scheduling conflicts (6 patients). Demographics identified 84% as African American (76/90), average body mass index (BMI) being 35.4 kg/m2, and a mean age of 26. All data of the differences (capillary minus venous glucose) were found to be normally distributed. The capillary sample was significantly different from the venous sample, with the former being, on average 6.156 mg/dL higher than the latter (P 0.0008, CI 2.65 to 9.66). Subgroup analysis suggested significant differences in values among the multiparous patients (P 0.0014, CI -13.18 to -3.349), with capillary glucose being on average 8.26mg/dL higher. Similarly, patients with BMI < 30 mg/kg had significantly different sample values (P 0.0031, CI -18.75 to -4.25), with capillary glucose being 11.50 mg/dL higher on average. Patients with a gestational age of 24 weeks and beyond also had significantly different samples based on collection site (P 0.0023, CI 2.7 to 11.75), with capillary being on average 7.226 mg/dL higher. Patients with BMI 30.0 to 39.9 had no significant difference between capillary and venous glucose (P 0.2393, CI -8.72 to 2.25), with capillary being 3.24 mg/dL higher on average. Patients with BMI 40 or higher also showed no significant difference between venous and capillary glucose (P 0.1053, CI -10.11 to 1.030), with capillary glucose being on average 4.52 mg/dL higher. Nineteen (21%) patients failed their glucose test based on one or both samples. In 12 patients (13%), the two samples were in agreement for test failure. However, seven patients (7.8%) had discordant results where the glucose was less than 140 mg/dL for one sample and higher for the other. Furthermore, 4 of these patients passed by the venous sample and failed with the capillary, and the reverse in sample source occurred in 3 patients. None of the patients with discordant results failed their 3-hour confirmatory test. Discussion: All pregnant patients undergo gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening, and those with diabetes risk factors such as obesity and a history of GDM undergo early diabetes screening. The two-step approach commonly used in the United States is a one-hour 50-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using a venous plasma glucose sample. If a patient fails (glucose > 140 mg/dL), she undergoes a 3-hour OGTT. Other accepted cutoffs for the one-hour OGTT are 135 mg/dL and 130 mg/dL. Venous sampling has some factors which lead to inaccuracy, including ongoing glycolysis in samples and decreased concentration compared to capillary/arterial samples in postprandial patients. Capillary sampling can be inaccurate in patients with microvascular disease such as shock, COPD, and Raynaud’s disease. Our institution uses point-of-care testing (POCT) on capillary (finger-stick) using a glucometer with a 140 mg/dL cutoff. Studies are mixed in their endorsement of POCT for the diagnosis/screening of DM. This study suggests that capillary testing is more sensitive to hyperglycemia in postprandial patients and is more sensitive for non-obese, multiparous, and patients undergoing screening for gestational diabetes at 24 weeks GA and beyond. This study also suggests that if POCT/capillary testing is considered, the higher (140) cutoff may be the best. The findings do not show that there is a significant risk of missing diagnoses of GDM, but a higher incidence of needing 3-hour glucose tolerance testing due to its higher sensitivity.

Dynamic Modeling and Tracking Of 3-Wheels Omni-Directional Mobile Robot with Manual PID Tuning Method

This paper presents the dynamic modelling and tracking control of a holonomic 3-wheel omni-directional mobile robot. A proportional integral derivative (PID) controller is used, and its performance depends on the dynamic model's accuracy. The controller design for the switched non-linear system is based on both a dynamic model and a kinematic design. A proposed dynamic model averages the contact radius of the 3-wheels. The resultant dynamic model, on average, is non-linear and smooth, serving as a potential solution for model-based control design. The closed-loop simulation results clearly illustrate the dynamic characteristics of the 3-wheels omni-directional mobile robot, offering valuable insights into its behaviour for further analysis and optimisation. Comparative simulation results using MATLAB are presented and demonstrate the effectiveness and legitimacy of the control mechanism. Keywords: Holonomic, kinematic, dynamic model, PID controller, non-linear, omni-directional robot

Directions for strengthening the protection of software processing state electronic information resources and used at critical infrastructure facilities

In the modern world, where more and more aspects of our lives become dependent on computer systems and networks, cybersecurity becomes increasingly critical. One of the key elements of cybersecurity is protecting the software used in these systems. Software can contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access to systems, data, and resources. These vulnerabilities may arise from coding errors, improper configurations, or inadequate software updates. Attackers continuously refine their methods and tactics not only to exploit software vulnerabilities but also to influence their emergence by targeting the supply chain. This makes software cybersecurity an increasingly complex challenge. This article addresses the pressing issue of cybersecurity in the context of the proliferation of cyberattacks on software, including supply chain attacks. Examples of known cyberattacks targeting the supply chain are provided. The shortcomings in the existing system of standards and rules for secure software development are highlighted, as well as the lack of security requirements and vulnerability management. A comprehensive approach to ensuring software security is proposed, which includes the development of appropriate requirements, standards, and control mechanisms.

Conserved Noncoding Cis-Elements Associated with Hibernation Modulate Metabolic and Behavioral Adaptations in Mice.

Our study elucidates functional roles for conserved cis-elements associated with the evolution of mammalian hibernation. Genomic analyses found topologically associated domains (TADs) that disproportionately accumulated convergent genomic changes in hibernators, including the TAD for the Fat Mass & Obesity (Fto) locus. Some hibernation-linked cis-elements in this TAD form regulatory contacts with multiple neighboring genes. Knockout mice for these cis-elements exhibit Fto, Irx3, and Irx5 gene expression changes, impacting hundreds of genes downstream. Profiles of pre-torpor, torpor, and post-torpor phenotypes found distinct roles for each cis-element in metabolic control, while a high caloric diet uncovered different obesogenic effects. One cis-element promoting a lean phenotype influences foraging behaviors throughout life, affecting specific behavioral sequences. Thus, convergent evolution in hibernators pinpoints functional genetic mechanisms of mammalian metabolic control.

Automated Shape Correction for Wood Composites in Continuous Pressing

The effective and comprehensive utilization of forest resources has become the theme of the global “dual-carbon strategy”. Forestry restructured wood is a kind of wood-based panel made of wood-based fiber composite material by high-temperature and high-pressure restructuring–molding, and has become an important material in the field of construction, furniture manufacturing, as well as derivative processing for its excellent physical and mechanical properties, decorative properties, and processing performance. Taking Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) as the recombinant material as the research object, an event-triggered synergetic control mechanism based on interventional three-way decision making is proposed for the viscoelastic multi-field coupling-distributed agile control of the “fixed thickness section” in the MDF continuous flat-pressing process, where some typical quality control problems of complex plate shape deviations including thickness, slope, depression, and bump tend to occur. Firstly, the idea of constructing the industrial event information of continuous hot pressing based on information granulation is proposed, and the information granulation model of the viscoelastic plate shape process mechanism is established by combining the multi-field coupling effect. Secondly, an FMEA-based cyber granular method for diagnosing and controlling the plate thickness diagnosis and control failure information expression of continuous flat pressing is proposed for the problems of plate thickness control failure and plate thickness deviation defect elimination that are prone to occur in the continuous flat-pressing process. The precise control of the plate thickness in the production process is realized based on event-triggered control to achieve the intelligent identification and processing of the various types of faults. The application test is conducted in the international mainstream production line of a certain type of continuous hot-pressing equipment for the production of 18 mm plate thickness; the synergistic effect is basically synchronized after 3 s, the control accuracy reaches 30%, and the average value of the internal bond strength is 1.40, which ensures the integrity of the slab. Practical tests show that the method in the actual production is feasible and effective, with detection and control accuracy of up to ±0.05 mm, indicating that in the production of E0- and E1-level products, the rate of superior products can reach more than 95%.

Development and Integration of a Digital Twin Model for a Real Hydroelectric Power Plant.

In this study, a digital twin model of a hydroelectric power plant has been created. Models of the entire power plant have been created and malfunction situations of a sensor located after the inlet valve of the plant have been analyzed using a programmable logic controller (PLC). As a feature of the digital twin (DT), the error prediction and prevention function has been studied specifically for the pressure sensor. The accuracy and reliability of the data obtained from the sensor are compared with the data obtained from the DT model. The comparison results are evaluated and erroneous data are identified. In this way, it is determined whether the malfunction occurring in the system is a real malfunction or a malfunction caused by measurement or connection errors. In the case of sensor failure or measurement-related malfunction, this situation is determined through the digital twin-based control mechanism. In the case of actual failure, the system is stopped, but in the case of measurement or connection errors, since the data are calculated by the DT model, the value in the specified region is known and thus there is no need to stop the system. This prevents production loss in the hydroelectric power plant by ensuring the continuity of the system in case of errors.

An RNA pseudoknot mediates toxin translation and antitoxin inhibition

Type I toxin-antitoxin systems (T1TAs) are bipartite bacterial loci encoding a growth-inhibitory toxin and an antitoxin small RNA (sRNA). In many of these systems, the transcribed toxin mRNA is translationally inactive, but becomes translation-competent upon ribonucleolytic processing. The antitoxin sRNA targets the processed mRNA to inhibit its translation. This two-level control mechanism prevents cotranscriptional translation of the toxin and allows its synthesis only when the antitoxin is absent. Contrary to this, we found that the timP mRNA of the timPR T1TA locus does not undergo enzymatic processing. Instead, the full-length timP transcript is both translationally active and can be targeted by the antitoxin TimR. Thus, tight control in this system relies on a noncanonical mechanism. Based on the results from in vitro binding assays, RNA structure probing, and cell-free translation experiments, we suggest that timP mRNA adopts mutually exclusive structural conformations. The active form uniquely possesses an RNA pseudoknot structure which is essential for translation initiation. TimR preferentially binds to the active conformation, which leads to pseudoknot destabilization and inhibited translation. Based on this, we propose a model in which "structural processing" of timP mRNA enables tight inhibition by TimR in nonpermissive conditions, and TimP synthesis only upon TimR depletion.

The Moderating Effect of Ownership Structure on the Relationship between Related Party Transactions and Earnings Quality: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This paper seeks to investigate how earnings quality is affected by related party transactions (RPTs). The research also examines the impact of ownership structure as a moderating variable on this relationship. Panel data with the firm fixed effects model are utilized in the paper. A sample of 91 non-financial companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange between 2018 and 2022 were included, resulting in 429 observations of company performance over that time period. This paper finds that there is a negative association between RPTs and earnings quality. Furthermore, the study found that the adverse effect of RPTs on earnings quality is intensified when there is managerial ownership and institutional ownership as moderating variables. The study’s conclusions are robust and reliable, as the sensitivity analysis results reinforce those of the basic analysis. To the authors’ knowledge, there is relatively little available evidence on the connection between RPTs and their correlation with earnings quality, particularly in the context of ownership structure acting as a moderating variable. Moreover, the study’s findings hold important implications for enhancing earnings quality in developing economies. To the authors’ knowledge, no studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia thus far to investigate the impact of ownership concentration, institutional ownership, managerial ownership, foreign ownership, and state ownership on the association between RPTs and earnings quality. Therefore, this paper expands the literature by modeling how the interaction between ownership structure and related party transactions may influence earnings quality. In this way, the authors contribute to the body of knowledge by unveiling a more robust control mechanism, particularly in developing economies with ineffective markets for corporate control.

Ousted

Abstract Founder-CEOs may hold power in a corporation in myriad ways: through managerial control, by designating seats on the board, or by holding significant voting power, which can be amplified by dual-class structures with superior voting rights. The debate on control mechanisms such as dual- and multi-class stock structures, as well as concomitant concerns about the cult of founder-CEOs and their grip on managerial power, have been a central theme of corporate law and governance in an era of “founder-friendly” startup governance and tech company dominance of markets. Amid the twists and turns of this debate, we observe that a small but important point is missing: a substantial number of founder-CEOs have been ousted—forced or pushed to step down from the CEO role despite maintaining important indicia of control that, according to prevailing theory, empowers them to withstand such pressures. We argue that a variety of countervailing forces and factors can work to limit the durability of a founder-CEO’s power and may ultimately lead to their resignation under pressure even though they may hold significant or even controlling voting power. Among these forces are performance problems or poor financial position of the company or its stock value, legal concerns, employee and public pressure, as well as personal motivations and struggles. A founder-CEO who faces strong opposition and adverse effects on the company’s performance is often better off stepping down than attempting to maintain managerial control. Further, we explore the limits of these forces on powerful founder-CEOs—they can only do so much to serve as guardrails against voting control and they exist in a particular moment. Ousting can be temporary, and founder-CEOs can find their way back to the throne or see a rebirth in new ventures. Finally, we examine how an appreciation of these forces and their limits can shed new light on why public investors might be willing to accept multi-class structures in venture-backed startup IPOs.

Genetic evidence for functional diversification of gram-negative intermembrane phospholipid transporters.

The outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria is a barrier to chemical and physical stress. Phospholipid transport between the inner and outer membranes has been an area of intense investigation and, in E. coli K-12, it has recently been shown to be mediated by YhdP, TamB, and YdbH, which are suggested to provide hydrophobic channels for phospholipid diffusion, with YhdP and TamB playing the major roles. However, YhdP and TamB have different phenotypes suggesting distinct functions. It remains unclear whether these functions are related to phospholipid metabolism. We investigated a synthetic cold sensitivity caused by deletion of fadR, a transcriptional regulator controlling fatty acid degradation and unsaturated fatty acid production, and yhdP, but not by ΔtamB ΔfadR or ΔydbH ΔfadR. Deletion of tamB recuses the ΔyhdP ΔfadR cold sensitivity further demonstrating the phenotype is related to functional diversification between these genes. The ΔyhdP ΔfadR strain shows a greater increase in cardiolipin upon transfer to the non-permissive temperature and genetically lowering cardiolipin levels can suppress cold sensitivity. These data also reveal a qualitative difference between cardiolipin synthases in E. coli, as deletion of clsA and clsC suppresses cold sensitivity but deletion of clsB does not. Moreover, increased fatty acid saturation is necessary for cold sensitivity and lowering this level genetically or through supplementation of oleic acid suppresses the cold sensitivity of the ΔyhdP ΔfadR strain. Together, our data clearly demonstrate that the diversification of function between YhdP and TamB is related to phospholipid metabolism. Although indirect regulatory effects are possible, we favor the parsimonious hypothesis that YhdP and TamB have differential phospholipid-substrate transport preferences. Thus, our data provide a potential mechanism for independent control of the phospholipid composition of the inner and outer membranes in response to changing conditions based on regulation of abundance or activity of YhdP and TamB.

Organizational and legal mechanisms for control of banking activities: comparative-legal analysis

Organizational and legal mechanisms for control of banking activities: comparative-legal analysis

Enhancing wind power with permanent magnet synchronous generator control strategies

AbstractDue to the substantial rise in wind power generation, the direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator has emerged as a leading technology for efficient variable speed operation, meeting grid demands effectively. This paper presents a comparative analysis of control strategies for permanent magnet synchronous generator based wind turbine using real variable wind speed data from a 2 MW of Tetouan wind farm in Morocco. The proposed approach is based on evaluating two primary control strategies: the adaptive fuzzy-proportional-integral controller and the conventional proportional-integral controller aimed at enhancing the wind turbine's output power. The simulation performed on MATLAB-Simulink indicates that pitch control mechanisms play a crucial role in optimizing power generation, also demonstrating its ability to achieve satisfactory performance.

Understanding Low-Speed Streaks and Their Function and Control through Movable Shark Scales Acting as a Passive Separation Control Mechanism

The passive bristling mechanism of the scales on the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) is hypothesized to play a crucial role in controlling flow separation. In the hypothesized mechanism, the scales are triggered in response to patches of reversed flow at the onset of separation occurring in the low-speed streaks that form in a turbulent boundary layer. The two goals of this investigation were as follows: (1) to measure the reversing flow occurring within the low-speed streaks in a separating turbulent boundary layer; (2) to understand the passive flow control mechanism of movable shark skin scales that inhibit reversing flow within the low-speed streaks. Experiments were conducted using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). DPIV was used to analyze the flow in a turbulent boundary layer subjected to an adverse pressure gradient formation over both a smooth flat plate and a flat plate on which shark skin specimens were affixed. The experimental analysis of the flow over the smooth flat plate corroborated the findings of previous direct numerical simulation studies, which indicated that the average spanwise spacing of the low-speed streaks increases in the presence of adverse pressure gradients upstream of the point of separation. However, the characteristics of the flow over the shark skin specimen more closely resemble that of a zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer. A comparative analysis of the width and velocity of the reversed streaks between flat plate and shark skin cases reveals that the mean spanwise spacing decreases, and thus, the number of streaks increases over the shark skin. Additionally, the reversed streaks observed over shark scales are thinner and the highest negative velocity within the streaks falls within the range required to bristle the scales.

Policy-Based Contextual Access Control Mechanism for Smart IoT Devices

Access control remained an important aspect of computer security, and it has been the focus of extensive research over the past several decades. Access control mechanisms generally composed of two fundamental components: authentication and authorization. Authentication refers to verifying the identity of an entity, and authorization guarantees that only authenticated entity or devices can access the permitted devices or other resources. Various traditional access control schemes, such as Access Control Lists (ACLs), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), and Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) exist, but these have certain limitations that hinder their direct implementation in the Internet of Things (IoT). For instance, ACLs maintain user-specific access privilege lists, which are feasible for environments with limited users and devices, but impractical for large scale systems like IoT. RBAC assigns devices access through roles associated with permissions, however role management in dynamic IoT environments poses significant challenges. ABAC grants access based on user and devices attributes that requires certain attribute criteria for authorization. We advocate that IoT environments are dynamic in nature and consist of very large volumes of smart IoT devices (such as smart sensors, smart phones and gadgets) that which introduce unique access control challenges. One significant challenge is providing dynamic access to smart IoT devices, as opposed to relying on static rules, roles, or attributes. Considering these challenges, this research advocates for a novel access control scheme tailored for accessing smart IoT devices in internet of things environments. The prototype implementation of the proposed approach is carried out along with conducting the usability study to evaluate the performance and suitability of the proposed system for real world internet of things (IoT) scenarios.

GENTANGLE: integrated computational design of gene entanglements.

The design of two overlapping genes in a microbial genome is an emerging technique for adding more reliable control mechanisms in engineered organisms for increased stability. The design of functional overlapping gene pairs is a challenging procedure and computational design tools are used to improve the efficiency to deploy successful designs in genetically engineered systems. GENTANGLE (Gene Tuples ArraNGed in overLapping Elements) is a high-performance containerized pipeline for the computational design of two overlapping genes translated in different reading frames of the genome. This new software package can be used to design and test gene entanglements for microbial engineering projects using arbitrary sets of user specified gene pairs. The GENTANGLE source code and its submodules are freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/BiosecSFA/gentangle. The DATANGLE (DATA for genTANGLE) repository contains related data and results, and is freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/BiosecSFA/datangle. The GENTANGLE container is freely available on Singularity Cloud Library at https://cloud.sylabs.io/library/khyox/gentangle/gentangle.sif. The GENTANGLE repository wiki (https://github.com/BiosecSFA/gentangle/wiki), website (https://biosecsfa.github.io/gentangle/) and user manual contain detailed instructions on how to use the different components of software and data, including examples and reproducing the results. The code is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html). Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Research on fuzzy adaptive GPC of average coolant temperature based on regulation of boric acid concentration

In order to keep the balance of power distribution in the core of a nuclear reactor, the method of adjusting the boric acid concentration to regulate the average temperature of the coolant has been adopted to track the demands of power changes in the core. However, the chemical reaction process of regulating the average coolant temperature by adjusting the boric acid concentration is too slow to better meet the demands of power changes. In view of this challenge, this paper proposes an innovative fuzzy adaptive incremental generalized predictive control strategy to optimize the process of regulating the coolant temperature. This strategy employs a dynamic adjustment of control parameters, specifically through the application of incremental factors γ, which is calibrated using a fuzzy logic-based algorithm to enhance system responsiveness and robustness in real-time. The strategy aims to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the nuclear reactor control mechanism and further enhance the safety and stability of nuclear power generation.Firstly, the system state space equations are established based on the boric acid concentration equation and the nuclear reactor kinetics. Secondly, the step factors β and incremental factors γ are used in improved-GPC to improve control real-time and robustness. The step factor β speeds up the rolling optimization, and the incremental factor γ is adjusted based on the fuzzy algorithm according to the online recognition degree of the system. Finally, the 1000 MW Pressurized Water Reactor is modeled and simulated. The results show that improved-GPC has a shorter regulation time and a stronger ability to cope with the model mismatch in this system than other controllers.

Microbial Synthetic Epigenetic Tools Design and Applications.

Microbial synthetic epigenetics offers significant opportunities for the design of synthetic biology tools by leveraging reversible gene control mechanisms without altering DNA sequences. However, limited understanding and a lack of technologies for thorough analysis of the mechanisms behind epigenetic modifications have hampered their utilization in biotechnological applications. In this review, we explore advancements in developing epigenetic-based synthetic gene regulatory tools at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Furthermore, we examine strategies developed to construct epigenetic-based circuits that provide controllable and stable gene regulation, aiming to boost the performance of microbial chassis cells. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and perspectives in the development of synthetic epigenetic tools.