In situ sprayed bioresponsive immunotherapeutic gel for post-surgical cancer treatment

Cancer recurrence after surgical resection remains a significant cause of treatment failure. Here, we have developed an in situ formed immunotherapeutic bioresponsive gel that controls both local tumour recurrence after surgery and development of distant tumours. Briefly, calcium carbonate nanoparticles pre-loaded with the anti-CD47 antibody are encapsulated in the fibrin gel and scavenge H+ in the surgical wound, allowing polarization of tumour-associated macrophages to the M1-like phenotype. The released anti-CD47 antibody blocks the ‘don’t eat me’ signal in cancer cells, thereby increasing phagocytosis of cancer cells by macrophages. Macrophages can promote effective antigen presentation and initiate T cell mediated immune responses that control tumour growth. Our findings indicate that the immunotherapeutic fibrin gel ‘awakens’ the host innate and adaptive immune systems to inhibit both local tumour recurrence post surgery and potential metastatic spread

Constructing a 3D Exponential Hyperchaotic Map with Application to PRNG

Some weaknesses of 1D chaotic maps, such as lacking of ergodicity, multiple bifurcations, dense periodic windows, and short iteration period, limit their practical applications in cryptography. A higher-dimensional chaotic map with ergodicity can solve these problems. Based on 1D quadratic map, a 3D exponential hyperchaotic map (3D-EHCM) is constructed, and its dynamic behaviors, such as phase diagram, Lyapunov exponent spectrum, Kolmogorov entropy (KE), correlation dimension, approximate entropy and randomness, are analyzed and tested. The results demonstrate that the 3D-EHCM has ergodicity in a larger range of control parameter, and its state points have a longer period. To counteract dynamical degradation and make it suitable for a PRNG, the periodic point detection and random impulsive perturbation are applied to lengthen the aperiodic time sequence, and statistical results demonstrate that a full-period sequence can be obtained. </jats:p

Constructing Keyed Strong S-Box Using an Enhanced Quadratic Map

As the only nonlinear component for symmetric cryptography, S-Box plays an important role. An S-Box may be vulnerable because of the existence of fixed point, reverse fixed point or short iteration cycles. To construct a keyed strong S-Box, first, a 2D enhanced quadratic map (EQM) was constructed, and its dynamic behaviors were analyzed through phase diagram, Lyapunov exponent, Kolmogorov entropy, bifurcation diagram and randomness testing. The results demonstrated that the state points of EQM have uniform distribution, ergodicity and better randomness. Then a keyed strong S-Box construction algorithm was designed based on EQM, and the fixed point, reverse fixed point, and short cycles were eliminated. Experimental results verified the algorithm’s feasibility and effectiveness. </jats:p

Development of NGA-Sub ground-motion prediction equation of 5%-damped pseudo-spectral acceleration based on database of subduction earthquakes in Japan

We developed an empirical ground-motion model for subduction earthquakes in Japan. The model is based on the extensive, comprehensive subduction database for Japan by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. The model predicts the RotD50 horizontal components of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and 5%-damped elastic pseudo-spectral acceleration ordinates in the selected periods ranging from 0.01 to 10 s. The model includes predictor variables considering tectonic setting (i.e. interplate and intraplate), the hypocentral depths, magnitude scaling, distance attenuation, shallow soil, and the basin responses. The magnitude scaling of interplate earthquakes is well constrained in Japan for different periods because the database includes the well-recorded large-magnitude events (i.e. the 2003 Tokachi-Oki and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes). The developed ground-motion prediction equation covers the subduction earthquakes that occurred in Japan for moment magnitudes ranging from 5.5 to 9.1 with closest distances to the fault of less than 300 km. </jats:p