{"title":"Scientometric analysis of research on deliberate biosecurity threats reveals North-Transatlantic dominance","authors":"Suryesh Kumar Namdeo, Chandan GN","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jobb.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Academic research is crucial to understanding and preparing for the fight against deliberate biological threats; yet, existing efforts have been fragmented, necessitating a more comprehensive examination of the field’s evolution. This study presents a scientometric analysis of deliberate biosecurity threats over the last 20 years, focusing on publication patterns, collaboration dynamics, research priorities, and leading publication venues. We analyzed 791 articles published between 2004 and 2023 using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Results indicate a notable increase in publications dominated by North-Transatlantic countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, which prioritize such areas as dual-use technology, synthetic biology, and virus-related biosecurity challenges. A comparative analysis of G7 and BRICS collaborations underscores substantial disparities in research output, with the G7 leading in international biosecurity research collaborations. Furthermore, the study reveals limited biosecurity research and collaboration in the Global South. Therefore, we encourage further exploration of biosecurity research to promote inclusive and collaborative global efforts. This study provides valuable insights for researchers and policymakers regarding biosecurity research priorities related to deliberate threats, and it highlights the need to address global disparities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"7 2","pages":"Pages 69-78"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144196420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taiwu Pang , Zheming Ye , Zhao Zhang , Cheqing Jin
{"title":"Fault tolerance testing and tuning for consortium blockchain","authors":"Taiwu Pang , Zheming Ye , Zhao Zhang , Cheqing Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100267","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100267","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the potential applications of the consortium blockchain are becoming increasingly evident, the fault tolerance of systems in complex and changeable real environments has become an increasingly important factor. In recent years, many blockchain-oriented fault tolerance testing tools have been proposed. However, the selected fault sets cannot cover all kinds of problems that the consortium blockchain may encounter in real scenarios. Moreover, a rationality analysis of test results is often missing from these tools. In addition, it is also worth considering how to optimize system performance in the fault continuous stage. In this paper, we propose a general full-stack fault injection platform that can support the orderly injection of different kinds of Byzantine and non-Byzantine failures in a distributed scenario. Regarding the unclear underlying principles affecting system performance due to faults, we conduct an attribution analysis of various faults' influences on the consortium blockchain. Based on conclusions drawn form the attribution analysis, we design and implement the test-driven optimization strategy. The experimental results show that the optimization strategy can shorten the system average delay to less than one-third of that before optimization by reducing the throughput by about 15% in most fault scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100267"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mostafa Chegenizadeh , Nickolay Larionov , Sina Rafati Niya , Yury Yanovich , Claudio J. Tessone
{"title":"Cardano shared send transactions untangling in numbers","authors":"Mostafa Chegenizadeh , Nickolay Larionov , Sina Rafati Niya , Yury Yanovich , Claudio J. Tessone","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we analyze shared send mixers (SSMs) within Cardano's extended unspent transaction output (EUTXO) model, presenting significant contributions to the understanding of UTXO-based blockchains. Firstly, we define the EUTXO SSM untangling problem and propose an algorithm to address it, along with providing an open-source implementation of the solution. Utilizing real transaction examples, we formulate and solve this problem in a systematic manner, shedding light on the intricacies of coin circulation within the Cardano blockchain. Through our analysis, we reveal some insights into the usage of SSMs, including statistics on their frequency and effectiveness in untangling transactions. With this method, our findings show that 11% of transactions seem to involve SSMs, 83% of which enable unique untangling. Moreover, we discuss the potential application of our algorithm in enhancing the address clustering results of transaction-level heuristics. Overall, our work contributes to a deeper understanding of transactional dynamics within UTXO cryptocurrencies, particularly within the context of Cardano's EUTXO model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100269"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unlocking potential of open source model training in decentralized federated learning environment","authors":"Ekaterina Pavlova , Grigorii Melnikov , Yury Yanovich , Alexey Frolov","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving, creating a demand for sophisticated models that rely on substantial data and computational resources for training. However, the high costs associated with training these models have limited accessibility, leading to concerns about transparency, biases, and hidden agendas within AI systems. As AI becomes more integrated into governmental services and the pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) advances, the necessity for transparent and reliable AI models becomes increasingly critical. Decentralized Federated Learning (DFL) offers decentralized approaches to model training while safeguarding data privacy and ensuring resilience against adversarial participants. Nonetheless, the guarantees provided are not absolute, and even open-weight AI models do not qualify as truly open source. This paper suggests using blockchain technology, smart contracts, and publicly verifiable secret sharing in DFL environments to bolster trust, cooperation, and transparency in model training processes. Our numerical experiments illustrate that the overhead required to offer robust assurances to all peers regarding the correctness of the training process is relatively small. By incorporating these tools, participants can trust that trained models adhere to specified procedures, addressing accountability issues within AI systems and promoting the development of more ethical and dependable applications of AI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100264"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of GO and ITO nanostructures’ performance on the nanostructure and optical behavior of a newly fabricated blended-PPY conductive polymer for antibacterial applications","authors":"Rand Waleed, Ehssan Al-Bermany","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jobb.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hybrid nanomaterials are attracting growing attention for their ability to improve the functional performance of polymer-based systems, making them strong contenders for advanced applications in the electronics and biomedical fields. In this study, novel hybrid nanocomposites were developed based on a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K30 matrix blended with the conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) and reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) and indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles. The nanocomposites were fabricated using a solution-casting technique, with improved dispersion achieved through mechanical stirring and ultrasonication. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images revealed a smooth surface morphology and an homogeneous distribution of nanomaterials within the polymer matrix. Meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated strong physical interactions between the composite components, with X-ray diffraction confirming the semicrystalline behavior of PVP, which was strongly impacted by the contribution of the nanomaterials. UV–Vis spectroscopy showed significantly enhanced optical behavior, with a notable reduction in the optical band gap from ∼3.43 to 1.63 eV, indicating improved electronic transition efficiency. Furthermore, the well-dried solid films exhibited superior antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones increasing by 53.8% against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and 46.1% against <em>Escherichia coli</em>. These findings highlight the novelty and multifunctionality of the developed nanocomposites, demonstrating their strong potential for use in flexible optical-electronics devices, antibacterial coatings, tissue engineering, and sensor applications and addressing current societal needs in the health, environmental, and medical sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"7 2","pages":"Pages 79-90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zening Zhao , Jinsong Wang , Miao Yang , Haitao Wang
{"title":"An efficient Bitcoin network topology discovery algorithm for dynamic display","authors":"Zening Zhao , Jinsong Wang , Miao Yang , Haitao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Bitcoin network comprises numerous nodes, necessitating users to invest significant network requests and time in comprehending its network topology. In this paper, we propose a Bitcoin network topology discovery algorithm that uses lightweight probe nodes to facilitate rapid transmission of network protocols. Building upon this, we introduce a node layer clustering algorithm based on filtering stable network nodes, enabling parallel discovery of the network topology. Additionally, we present an adaptive method for dynamically displaying the layered structure of the network topology. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method reduces communication overhead by approximately 72.16% when achieving a 95% similarity in network topology. Furthermore, the algorithm is applicable for discovering the network topology in other blockchain networks with similar structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100260"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alberto CANNAVÒ, Giorgio ARRIGO, Alessandro VISCONTI, Federico De LORENZIS, Fabrizio LAMBERTI
{"title":"Designing social immersive virtual environments for the Metaverse: The case study of MetaLibrary","authors":"Alberto CANNAVÒ, Giorgio ARRIGO, Alessandro VISCONTI, Federico De LORENZIS, Fabrizio LAMBERTI","doi":"10.1016/j.vrih.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vrih.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Over the last few years, the rapid advancement of technology has led to the development of many approaches to digitalization. In this respect, metaverse provides 3D persistent virtual environments that can be used to access digital content, meet virtually, and perform several professional and leisure tasks. Among the numerous technologies supporting the metaverse, immersive Virtual Reality (VR) plays a primary role and offers highly interactive social experiences. Despite growing interest in this area, there are no clear design guidelines for creating environments tailored to the metaverse.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study seeks to advance research in this area by moving from state-of-the-art studies on the design of immersive virtual environments in the context of metaverse and proposing how to integrate cutting-edge technologies within this context. Specifically, the best practices were identified by i) analyzing literature studies focused on human behavior in immersive virtual environments, ii) extracting common features of existing social VR platforms, and iii) conducting interviews with experts in a specific application domain. Specifically, this study considered the creation of a new virtual environment for MetaLibrary, a VR-based social platform aimed at integrating public libraries into metaverse. Several implementation challenges and additional requirements have been identified for the development of virtual environments (VEs). These elements were considered in the selection of specific cutting-edge technologies and their integration into the development process. A user study was also conducted to investigate some design aspects (namely lighting conditions and richness of the scene layout) for which deriving clear indications from the above analysis was not possible because different alternative configurations could be chosen.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The work reported in this paper seeks to bridge the gap between existing VR platforms and related literature in the field, on the one hand, and requirements regarding immersive virtual environments for the metaverse, on the other hand, by reporting a set of best practices which were used to build a social virtual environment that meets users' expectations and needs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Results suggest that carefully designed virtual environments can positively affect user experience and interaction within metaverse. The insights gained from this study offer valuable cues for developing immersive virtual environments for the metaverse to deliver more effective and engaging experiences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33538,"journal":{"name":"Virtual Reality Intelligent Hardware","volume":"7 3","pages":"Pages 279-298"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144491438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimal load frequency control system for two-area connected via AC/DC link using cuckoo search algorithm","authors":"Gaber EL-SAADY , Alexey MIKHAYLOV , Nora BARANYAI , Mahrous AHMED , Mahmoud HEMEIDA","doi":"10.1016/j.vrih.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vrih.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Interconnection of different power systems has a major effect on system stability. This study aims to design an optimal load frequency control (LFC) system based on a proportional-integral (PI) controller for a two-area power system.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two areas were connected through an AC tie line in parallel with a DC link to stabilize the frequency of oscillations in both areas. The PI parameters were tuned using the cuckoo search algorithm (CSA) to minimize the integral absolute error (IAE). A state matrix was provided, and the stability of the system was verified by calculating the eigenvalues. The frequency response was investigated for load variation, changes in the generator rate constraint, the turbine time constant, and the governor time constant.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The CSA was compared with particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) under identical conditions. The system was modeled based on a state-space mathematical representation and simulated using MATLAB. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed controller based on both algorithms and, it is clear that CSA is superior to PSO.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The CSA algorithm smoothens the system response, reduces ripples, decreases overshooting and settling time, and improves the overall system performance under different disturbances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33538,"journal":{"name":"Virtual Reality Intelligent Hardware","volume":"7 3","pages":"Pages 299-316"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144491946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xuanming Liu , Jiawen Zhang , Yinghao Wang , Xinpeng Yang , Xiaohu Yang
{"title":"SmartZKCP: Towards practical data exchange marketplace against active attacks","authors":"Xuanming Liu , Jiawen Zhang , Yinghao Wang , Xinpeng Yang , Xiaohu Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The trading of data is becoming increasingly important as it holds substantial value. A blockchain-based data marketplace can provide a secure and transparent platform for data exchange. To facilitate this, developing a fair data exchange protocol for digital goods has garnered considerable attention in recent decades. The Zero Knowledge Contingent Payment (ZKCP) protocol enables trustless fair exchanges with the aid of blockchain and zero-knowledge proofs. However, applying this protocol in a practical data marketplace is not trivial.</div><div>In this paper, several potential attacks are identified when applying the ZKCP protocol in a practical public data marketplace. To address these issues, we propose SmartZKCP, an enhanced solution that offers improved security measures and increased performance. The protocol is formalized to ensure fairness and secure against potential attacks. Moreover, SmartZKCP offers efficiency optimizations and minimized communication costs. Evaluation results show that SmartZKCP is both practical and efficient, making it applicable in a data exchange marketplace.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100272"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144270707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuan Zhou , Yaoyao Zhang , Qinglin Yang , Yuan Liu , Chunming Rong , Zhihong Tian
{"title":"A blockchain based efficient incentive mechanism in tripartite cyber threat intelligence service marketplace","authors":"Yuan Zhou , Yaoyao Zhang , Qinglin Yang , Yuan Liu , Chunming Rong , Zhihong Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcra.2024.100263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) marketplace is an emerging platform for CTI service requesters to countermeasure advanced cyber attacks, where CTI service providers are employed on payment. To create a trustworthy CTI marketplace environment, consortium-blockchain-based CTI service platforms have been widely proposed, where the blockchain system becomes the third role, crucially impacting the CTI service quality. How to sustainably promote CTI service quality in this tripartite marketplace is a challenging issue, which has not been well investigated in the literature. In this study, we propose a two-stage tripartite dynamic game-model-based incentive mechanism, where the participation incentives of the three parties are promoted under the constraints of Individual Rationality (IR) and Incentive Compatibility (IC). The sustainability of CTI service is quantitatively formalized through the CTI market demand, which impacts the future profits of the three parties. The Nash equilibrium of the proposed incentive mechanism is solved, where the CTI requester offers an optimal price to achieve effective defense against cyber attacks, and the blockchain platform and CTI service providers collaboratively contribute high-quality CTI services. Empirical experimental results show that the higher the quality of CTI services provided in the marketplace, the greater the market demand for CTI, resulting in a sustainable CTI marketplace.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53141,"journal":{"name":"Blockchain-Research and Applications","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100263"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}