Towards finding the best-fit distribution for OSN data

The Journal of Supercomputing - Currently, all online social networks (OSNs) are considered to follow a power-law distribution. In this paper, the degree distribution for multiple OSNs has been...     

Quantum cheques

We propose the idea of a quantum cheque scheme, a cryptographic protocol in which any legitimate client of a trusted bank can issue a cheque, that cannot be counterfeited or altered in anyway, and can be verified by a bank or any of its branches. We formally define a quantum cheque and present the first unconditionally secure quantum cheque scheme and show it to be secure against any no-signalling adversary. The proposed quantum cheque scheme can been perceived as the quantum analog of Electronic Data Interchange, as an alternate for current e-Payment Gateways.     

Revealing Nanoscale Chemical Heterogeneities in Polycrystalline Mo‐BiVO4 Thin Films

The activity of polycrystalline thin film photoelectrodes is impacted by local variations of the material properties due to the exposure of different crystal facets and the presence of grain/domain boundaries. Here a multi‐modal approach is applied to correlate nanoscale heterogeneities in chemical composition and electronic structure with nanoscale morphology in polycrystalline Mo‐BiVO₄. By using scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy, the characteristic structure of polycrystalline film is used to disentangle the different X‐ray absorption spectra corresponding to grain centers and grain boundaries. Comparing both spectra reveals phase segregation of V₂O₅ at grain boundaries of Mo‐BiVO₄ thin films, which is further supported by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and many‐body density functional theory calculations. Theoretical calculations also enable to predict the X‐ray absorption spectral fingerprint of polarons in Mo‐BiVO₄. After photo‐electrochemical operation, the degraded Mo‐BiVO₄ films show similar grain center and grain boundary spectra indicating V₂O₅ dissolution in the course of the reaction. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the degradation mechanism and the impact of material heterogeneities on the material performance and stability of polycrystalline photoelectrodes.     

Impact of second-order network motif on online social networks

The Journal of Supercomputing - The behaviour of individual users in an online social network is a major contributing factor in determining the outcome of multiple network phenomenon. Group...     

Exosomes from COVID-19 Patients Carry Tenascin-C and Fibrinogen-β in Triggering Inflammatory Signals in Cells of Distant Organ

SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause cytokine storm and may overshoot immunity in humans; however, it remains to be determined whether virus-induced soluble mediators from infected cells are carried by exosomes as vehicles to distant organs and cause tissue damage in COVID-19 patients. We took an unbiased proteomic approach for analyses of exosomes isolated from plasma of healthy volunteers and COVID-19 patients. Our results revealed that tenascin-C (TNC) and fibrinogen-β (FGB) are highly abundant in exosomes from COVID-19 patients’ plasma compared with that of healthy normal controls. Since TNC and FGB stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokines via the Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, we examined the status of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C–C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) expression upon exposure of hepatocytes to exosomes from COVID-19 patients and observed significant increase compared with that from healthy subjects. Together, our results demonstrate that TNC and FGB are transported through plasma exosomes and potentially trigger pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling in cells of distant organ.