Application of Quantum Cryptography to Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructures in Space Communications

As society becomes more dependent on technology and the internet, critical infrastructure, which provides the fundamental services that millions of people depend on, becomes more vulnerable to cyber threats. This paper presents the importance of cybersecurity in critical infrastructure addressing the communications sector which is prevailed by space systems. It gives an overview of laser communications via satellite, and it argues the utility that quantum cryptography can provide to secure the data transmitted between communication satellites and ground stations from cyber attacks. Common encryption algorithms are briefly introduced as well as a review on quantum computing. Quantum cryptography is still a primitive concept, but as technology advances more and more researchers are focusing their attention into this visionary cryptography system

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Using Software Defined Radio Platforms and Open Source Software to Design and Build an HD Radio Receiver

Software Defined Radio (SDR) refers to radio systems in which most of the functionality associated with the physical layer is implemented in software using Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms, and has been a subject of extensive research over the past two decades. The purpose of this project is to design and implement an HD radio receiver using the open-source software GNU Radio and the RTL-SDR platform. The work is motivated by the fact that HD radio receivers are expensive, require special hardware, and are difficult to find, while the RTL-SDR is affordable, versatile, and provides multiple different applications. By researching and analyzing the HD radio standard, this project will demonstrate how SDR platforms such as the RTL-SDR can be programmed using GNU Radio software to operate as an alternative to the expensive proprietary HD Radio receivers. Using an RTL-SDR in conjunction with software tools, the user can implement many other applications in the area of wireless communications and networking. The outcome of the project is a radio that can be used and demonstrate more efficient ways of developing and designing HD radio receivers contributing to the field of radio-frequency engineering. Developing hardware solutions was a domain for those able to afford expensive systems and custom designs. But, as technology advanced new devices motivated engineers to get started with digital radio at an affordable price

Characterization of Free and Porous Silicon-Encapsulated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Platforms for the Development of Theranostic Vaccines

Tracking vaccine components from the site of injection to their destination in lymphatic tissue, and simultaneously monitoring immune effects, sheds light on the influence of vaccine components on particle and immune cell trafficking and therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we create a hybrid particle vaccine platform comprised of porous silicon (pSi) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). The impact of nanoparticle size and mode of presentation on magnetic resonance contrast enhancement are examined. SPION-enhanced relaxivity increased as the core diameter of the nanoparticle increased, while encapsulation of SPIONs within a pSi matrix had only minor effects on T2 and no significant effect on T2* relaxation. Following intravenous injection of single and hybrid particles, there was an increase in negative contrast in the spleen, with changes in contrast being slightly greater for free compared to silicon encapsulated SPIONs. Incubation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) with pSi microparticles loaded with SPIONs, SIINFEKL peptide, and lipopolysaccharide stimulated immune cell interactions and interferon gamma production in OT-1 TCR transgenic CD8+ T cells. Overall, the hybrid particle platform enabled presentation of a complex payload that was traceable, stimulated functional T cell and BMDC interactions, and resolved in cellular activation of T cells in response to a specific antigen

Antimicrobial and Substantivity Properties of Silver Nanoparticles against Oral Microbiomes Clinically Isolated from Young and Young-Adult Patients

The dental plaque is an oral microbiome hardly associated to be the etiological agent of dental caries and periodontal disease which are still considered serious health public problems. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have demonstrated to have good antimicrobial properties affecting a wide variety of microorganisms, including oral bacteria; however, there is no scientific information that has evaluated the antimicrobial effect of AgNPs against clinical oral biofilms associated with dental caries and periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial and substantivity effects of AgNPs in oral biofilms isolated clinically from patients with dental caries and periodontal disease. Sixty-seven young and young-adult subjects with dental caries and periodontal disease were clinically sampled through the collection of subgingival dental plaque. The inhibitory effect of AgNPs was performed with standard microbiological assays by triplicate using two sizes of particle. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to identify the presence of specific bacterial species. All AgNPs showed an inhibitory effect for all oral biofilms for any age and, generally, any gender (p > 0:05); however, the effectiveness of the antimicrobial and substantivity effects was related to particle size, time, and gender (p < 0:05). The identified microorganisms were S. mutans, S. sobrinus, S. sanguinis, S. gordonii, S. oralis, P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, and P. intermedia. The AgNPs could be considered as a potential antimicrobial agent for the control and prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease

Activation of the Inflammasome and Enhanced Migration of Microparticle-Stimulated Dendritic Cells to the Draining Lymph Node

Porous silicon microparticles presenting pathogen-associated molecular patterns mimic pathogens, enhancing internalization of the microparticles and activation of antigen presenting dendritic cells. We demonstrate abundant uptake of microparticles bound by the TLR-4 ligands LPS and MPL by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC). Labeled microparticles induce concentration-dependent production of IL-1β, with inhibition by the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK supporting activation of the NLRP3-dependent inflammasome. Inoculation of BALB/c mice with ligand-bound microparticles induces a significant increase in circulating levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Stimulation of BMDC with ligand-bound microparticles increases surface expression of costimulatory and MHC molecules, and enhances migration of BMDC to the draining lymph node. LPS-microparticles stimulate in vivo C57BL/6 BMDC and OT-1 transgenic T cell interactions in the presence of OVA SIINFEKL peptide in lymph nodes, with intact nodes imaged using two-photon microscopy. Formation of in vivo and in vitro immunological synapses between BMDC, loaded with OVA peptide and LPS-microparticles, and OT-1 T cells are presented, as well as elevated intracellular interferon gamma levels in CD8⁺ T cells stimulated by BMDC carrying peptide-loaded microparticles. In short, ligand-bound microparticles enhance (1) phagocytosis of microparticles; (2) BMDC inflammasome activation and upregulation of costimulatory and MHC molecules; (3) cellular migration of BMDC to lymphatic tissue; and (4) cellular interactions leading to T cell activation in the presence of antigen

Multivalent Presentation of MPL by Porous Silicon Microparticles Favors T Helper 1 Polarization Enhancing the Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Doxorubicin Nanoliposomes

<div><p>Porous silicon (pSi) microparticles, in diverse sizes and shapes, can be functionalized to present pathogen-associated molecular patterns that activate dendritic cells. Intraperitoneal injection of MPL-adsorbed pSi microparticles, in contrast to free MPL, resulted in the induction of local inflammation, reflected in the recruitment of neutrophils, eosinophils and proinflammatory monocytes, and the depletion of resident macrophages and mast cells at the injection site. Injection of microparticle-bound MPL resulted in enhanced secretion of the T helper 1 associated cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α by peritoneal exudate and lymph node cells in response to secondary stimuli while decreasing the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. MPL-pSi microparticles independently exhibited anti-tumor effects and enhanced tumor suppression by low dose doxorubicin nanoliposomes. Intravascular injection of the MPL-bound microparticles increased serum IL-1β levels, which was blocked by the IL-1 receptor antagonist Anakinra. The microparticles also potentiated tumor infiltration by dendritic cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and F4/80⁺ macrophages, however, a specific reduction was observed in CD204⁺ macrophages.</p></div

pSi microparticle association with BMDC and biocompatibility.

<p>a) Scanning electron micrographs show pSi microparticles of varying dimensions (bars 500 nm). b) SEM images show cellular association of 2500×400 nm pSi microparticles with BMDC at various stages of uptake (top row) and cellular association with rod-shaped (left, bottom row) and smaller discoidal particles [600 nm (middle) and 1000 nm (right)]. c) BMDCs, treated with five D25.4 microparticles/cell for three hr, were imaged using confocal microscopy. d) TEM images show BMDC with internalized TLR4-ligand (LPS) bound pSi microparticles four hr after microparticle introduction. Seven 1000×400 nm discoidal microparticles are seen in the cell in the upper image (boxed regions; bar 2 µm) and in the magnified regions below (bars 1 and 0.5 µm). e) TEM images show control (left) and alum-treated BMDC four hr after introduction of 2 µg/ml alum. The boxed region showing internalized alum is magnified in the image to the right. f) BMDCs were incubated with LPS (10 ng/ml), alum (25, 12.5 and 6.25 µg/ml), or pSi microparticles (20 particles/cell) for 24 hr. Cellular necrosis was evaluated using the LIVE/DEAD® Aqua dead cell stain.</p

Combined chemo and MPL-pSi therapy inhibits cellular proliferation and stimulates tumor infiltration by immune cells which is partly IL-1 dependent.

<p>a) Excised tumors from mice treated with low dose DOX-NPs with or without pSi-MPL microparticles were stained with antibodies specific for Ki67 (red), CD8 (red), F4/80 (green), CD204 (red), or 33D1 (red). Nuclei were stained with Prolong Gold Antifade Reagent with DAPI (blue). b) The percentage of the population comprised of each cell type is shown graphically as the mean of 3–4 regions in randomly selected tissues representing at least two animals per group. *p<0.05; **p<0.01. c) Plasma IL-1β level six hr after intravenous injection of free MPL or 5×10⁸ control or MPL-pSi microparticles (10 µg MPL equivalents; n = 3/group; ***p<0.001; *p<0.05). d) Effect of anakinra on MPL-pSi microparticle-induced changes in plasma IL-1β six hr after injection (30 mg, 3×/week; *p<0.05; n = 3/group). e) Tumor growth of mice injected with MPL-pSi microparticles (weekly as indicated by arrows) with and without anakinra (30 mg, 3×/week; n = 3/group). Control verses MPL-pSi, *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001.</p

Injection of pSi microparticles with the TLR4 agonist MPL induces a synergistic recruitment of inflammatory cells.

<p>Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice were injected with PBS, MPL (50 µg/mouse), pSi microparticles (5×10⁸) or MPL plus pSi microparticles. The mice were sacrificed 24 hr later and PECs were isolated. PECs were stained with various markers to identify cell populations in the peritoneum at this time point, specifically the number of neutrophils (a; CD11b⁺ SiglecF⁻ Gr-1⁺), M1-like macrophages (b; CD11b⁺ SiglecF⁻ F4/80⁺ ), M2-like macrophages (c; CD11b^high F4/80^high), eosinophils (d; Gr-1⁻ ckit⁻ SiglecF⁻) and mast cells (e; ckit⁺ SiglecF⁻). Indicated variable versus MPL+pSi, *p<0.05, ***p<0.001, n = 3/group.</p