Symmetry-Basel最新文献

{"title":"A Privacy-Enhancing Image Encryption Algorithm for Securing Medical Images","authors":"Ammar Odeh, Anas Abu Taleb, Tareq Alhajahjeh, Francisco J. Aparicio‐Navarro, Aladdin Ayesh, Miad Faezipour","doi":"10.3390/sym17091470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17091470","url":null,"abstract":"The growing digitization of healthcare has amplified concerns about the privacy and security of medical images, as conventional encryption methods often fail to provide sufficient protection. To address this gap, we propose a privacy-enhancing image encryption algorithm that integrates SHA-256 hashing, block-wise processing (16 × 16 with zero-padding), DNA encoding with XOR operations, and logistic map-driven key generation into a unified framework. This synergistic design balances efficiency and robustness by embedding data integrity verification, ensuring high sensitivity to initial conditions, and achieving strong diffusion through dynamic DNA rules. Experimental results confirm that the scheme achieves high NPCR (0.997), UACI (0.289), entropy (7.995), and PSNR (27.89 dB), outperforming comparable approaches while maintaining scalability to large image formats and robustness under compression (JPEG quality factors 90 and 70). These findings demonstrate that the proposed method offers an efficient and resilient solution for securing medical images, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and practical applicability in real-world healthcare environments.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":"1470-1470"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/9/1470/pdf?version=1757151444","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147906517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-Time Behavior of a System Ruled by Non-Hermitian Time-Dependent Hamiltonians","authors":"Benedetto Militello, A. Napoli","doi":"10.3390/sym17081336","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17081336","url":null,"abstract":"The short-time behavior of the survival probability of a system governed by a time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is derived using to the second-order perturbative approach. The resulting expression allows for the analysis of some situations which could be of interest in the field of quantum technology. For example, it becomes possible to predict a quantum Zeno effect even in the presence of decay processes.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 8","pages":"1336-1336"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/8/1336/pdf?version=1755256459","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147904672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flexible Concentration Gradient Droplet Generation via Partitioning–Recombination in a Shear Flow-Driven Multilayer Microfluidic Chip","authors":"Linkai Yu, Qingyang Feng, Yifan Chen, Yongji Wu, Haizhen Sun, Hao Yang, Lining Sun","doi":"10.3390/sym17060826","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17060826","url":null,"abstract":"Concentration gradient generation plays a pivotal role in advancing applications across drug screening, chemical synthesis, and biomolecular studies, yet conventional methods remain constrained by labor-intensive workflows, limited throughput, and inflexible gradient control. This study presents a novel multilayer microfluidic chip leveraging shear flow-driven partitioning–recombination mechanisms to enable the flexible and high-throughput generation of concentration gradient droplets. The chip integrates interactive upper and lower polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers, where sequential fluid distribution and recombination are achieved through circular and radial channels while shear forces from the oil phase induce droplet formation. Numerical simulations validated the dynamic pressure-driven concentration gradient formation, demonstrating linear gradient profiles across multiple outlets under varied flow conditions. The experimental results revealed that the shear flow mode significantly enhances mixing uniformity and droplet generation efficiency compared to continuous flow operations, attributed to intensified interfacial interactions within contraction–expansion serpentine channels. By modulating hydrodynamic parameters such as aqueous- and oil-phase flow rates, this system achieved tunable gradient slopes and droplet sizes, underscoring the intrinsic relationship between flow dynamics and gradient formation. The proposed device eliminates reliance on complex channel networks, offering a compact and scalable platform for parallelized gradient generation. This work provides a robust framework for optimizing microfluidic-based concentration gradient systems, with broad implications for high-throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry, and precision biomolecular assays.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 6","pages":"826-826"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/6/826/pdf?version=1748251613","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flexible Piezoresistive Sensor with High Stability Based on GO@PDMS-PU Porous Structure","authors":"Qingfang Zhang, Yi Li, Xingyu Wang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Shuyi Liu, Hengyi Yuan, Xiaodong Yang, Da Li, Zeping Jin, Yujian Zhang, Yutong Liu, Zhengmai Bian","doi":"10.3390/sym17050773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17050773","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, flexible piezoresistive sensors based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix materials have developed rapidly, showing broad application prospects in fields such as human motion monitoring, electronic skin, and intelligent robotics. However, achieving a balance between structural durability and fabrication simplicity remains challenging. Traditional methods for preparing PDMS flexible substrates with high porosity and high stability often require complex, costly processes. Breaking through the constraints of conventional material systems, this study innovatively combines the high elasticity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with the stochastically distributed porous topology of a sponge-derived biotemplate through biomimetic templating replication technology, fabricating a heterogeneous composite system with an architecturally asymmetric spatial network. After 5000 loading cycles, uncoated samples experienced a thickness reduction of 7.0 mm, while PDMS-coated samples showed minimal thickness changes (2.0–3.0 mm), positively correlated with curing agent content (5:1 to 20:1). The 5:1 ratio sample demonstrated exceptional mechanical stability. As evidenced, the PDMS film-encapsulated architecturally asymmetric spatial network demonstrates superior stress dissipation efficacy, effectively mitigating stress concentration phenomena inherent to symmetric configurations that induce matrix fracture, thereby achieving optimal mechanical stability. Compared to the pre-test resistance distribution of 10–248 Ω, after 5000 cyclic loading cycles, the uncoated samples exhibited a narrowed resistance range of 10–50 Ω, while PDMS-coated samples maintained a broader resistance range (10–240 Ω) as the curing agent ratio increased (from 20:1 to 5:1), demonstrating that increasing the curing agent ratio helps maintain conductive network stability. The 5:1 ratio sample displayed the lowest resistance variation rate attenuation—only 3% after 5000 cycles (vs. 80% for uncoated samples)—and consistently minimal attenuation at all stages, validating superior electrical stability. Under 0–6 kPa pressure, the 5:1 ratio device maintained a linear sensitivity of 0.157 kPa−1, outperforming some existing works. Human motion monitoring experiments further confirmed its reliable signal output. Furthermore, the architecturally asymmetric spatial network of the device enables superior conformability to complex curvilinear geometries, leveraging its structural anisotropy to achieve seamless interfacial adaptation. By synergistically optimizing material composition and structural design, this study provides a novel technical method for developing highly durable flexible electronic devices.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 5","pages":"773-773"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/5/773/pdf?version=1747374190","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147915962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial Interfacial Layers with Zwitterionic Ion Structure Improves Lithium Symmetric Battery Life and Inhibits Dendrite Growth","authors":"Haihua Wang, Wei Yuan, Chaoxian Chen, Rui Cao, Huizhu Niu, Ling Song, Jie Wang, Xinyu Shang","doi":"10.3390/sym17050652","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17050652","url":null,"abstract":"Lithium (Li) metal’s exceptional low electrode potential and high specific capacity for next-gen energy storage devices make it a top contender. However, the unregulated and unpredictable proliferation of Li dendrites and the instability of interfaces during repeated Li plating and stripping cycles pose significant challenges to the widespread commercialization of Li metal anodes. We introduce the creation of a hydrogen bond network solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film that integrates zwitterionic groups, designed to facilitate the stability and longevity of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Here, we design a PVA/P(SBMA-MBA) hydrogen bond network film (PSM) as an artificial SEI, integrating zwitterions and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to synergistically regulate Li⁺ flux. The distinctive zwitterionic effect in the network amplifies the SEI film’s ionic conductivity to 1.14 × 10−4 S cm−1 and attains an impressive Li+ ion transfer number of 0.84. In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals dynamic hydrogen bond reconfiguration under strain, endowing the SEI with self-adaptive mechanical robustness. These properties facilitate a homogeneous Li flux and exceptionally suppress dendritic growth. The advanced Li metal anode may endure over 1200 h at 1 mA cm−2 current density and 1 mAh cm−2 area capacity in a Li|Li symmetric battery. And in full cells paired with LiFePO4 cathodes, 93.8% capacity retention is reached after 300 cycles at 1C. Consequently, this work provides a universal strategy for designing dynamic interphases through molecular dipole engineering, paving the way for safe and durable lithium metal batteries.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 5","pages":"652-652"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/5/652/pdf?version=1745592745","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147333933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and Application for Pb2+ Removal of a Novel Magnetic Biochar Embedded with FexOy Nanoparticles","authors":"Youzhi Yao, Tiancheng Yao, Cheng Qian","doi":"10.3390/sym17040516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17040516","url":null,"abstract":"Biochar (BC) is a widely studied economic and environment-friendly material. However, its application is limited by its underdeveloped pore structure, small specific surface area, low degree of graphitization, and difficulty in being separated from liquids during the application process. Raw cotton contains almost 100% cellulose and has a high yield for preparing biochar. A novel type of magnetic biochar composite was prepared by the impregnation–calcination method using cotton and iron nitrate nonahydrate(Fe(NO3)3·9H2O). The material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and specific surface area testing (BET). The results show that FexOy nanoparticles with a uniform morphology and an average particle size of less than 20 nm are embedded in the composite; the saturation magnetization strength of the composite material reaches 21.6 emu/g; and compared to the original biochar, the composite material has a larger specific surface area (326 m2/g). As an adsorbent, the composite material has a fast removal rate for Pb2+ of 95% in 50 min. The Langmuir model calculation results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of the composite for Pb2+ is 252.7 mg/g. FexOy-BC easily achieves solid–liquid separation and can be recycled for Pb2+ wastewater treatment through adsorption–desorption–regeneration.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 4","pages":"516-516"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/17/4/516/pdf?version=1743407595","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147900587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced Removal of Acid Orange 7 onto Layered Interleaved Symmetrical 3D Flower-like CeO2 with Y(III) Doping","authors":"Yaohui Xu, Yong Li, Liangjuan Gao, Zhao Ding","doi":"10.3390/sym17020224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17020224","url":null,"abstract":"CeO2 has a potential application in the purification of organic dye wastewater because of the abundant oxygen vacancy (VO) defects in its crystals. In this study, a cubic CeO2 microsphere with layered interleaved symmetrical 3D flower-like morphology was synthesized, and its adsorption capacity for acid orange 7 (AO7) was further enhanced by Y doping. The impact of varying amounts of Y ions on the phase composition, lattice parameters, and morphology of the product was investigated, revealing that 4 mol.% was determined as the doping level limit of Y ions in CeO2 crystals. XPS, Raman, and H2−TPR techniques were employed to compare surface species changes before and after 4 mol.% Y doping in the CeO2 crystals, including O−Ce(III), O−Ce(IV), O−Y(III), and VO correlation, yielding a rough quantitative assessment of these species. The 4 mol.% Y-doped CeO2 (2.0 g/L) demonstrated the highest removal rate for 20 mg/L of AO7 dye within just 20 min to reach adsorption–desorption equilibrium, half the time required by undoped CeO2, achieving an impressive adsorption rate of 94.6%, compared to only 69.5% for undoped CeO2 at 20 min. The adsorption capacity of undoped CeO2 was enhanced by 19.05% through the doping of 4 mol.% Y, achieving a value of 16.56 mg/L. The feasibility of enhancing the adsorption capacity of CeO2 by Y doping provides a reference for the application of CeO2 and other metal oxides.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"17 2","pages":"224-224"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147888940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Conductivity of Nickel Oxide to Achieve Scalable Preparation for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Modules","authors":"Lei Wang, Xiaobo Li, Shihao Yuan, Feng Qian, Zhangli Kang, Shibin Li","doi":"10.3390/sym16101357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16101357","url":null,"abstract":"NiOx, prepared via the sputtering method, exhibits low conductivity and energy level mismatch with the perovskite layer, thereby limiting further enhancements in the performance of perovskite solar modules (PSMs). Unlike traditional methods that enhance the performance of NiOx through reactive sputtering or directly doping NiOx targets with metal ions, both of which incur high costs and low efficiency, we employ an evaporation method using LiF to achieve efficient and low-cost doping of NiOx. Compared to the pristine NiOx, the incorporation of LiF significantly increases the conductivity of NiOx. Additionally, the incorporation of LiF enhances the quality of the deposited perovskite films, as well as the energy level alignment and symmetry between NiOx and the perovskite, effectively improving the hole extraction and transport capabilities between NiOx and the perovskite. As a result, the PSM (active area of 57.30 cm²) fabricated in air achieves an impressive efficiency of 19.54%. Furthermore, the unencapsulated PSM retains 80% of its initial efficiency after 700 h of continuous illumination, whereas the NiOx-based PSM drops to 80% after only 150 h. This study provides a simple and low-cost method for doping NiOx, which is of great significance for the further industrialization of PSMs.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"16 10","pages":"1357-1357"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/16/10/1357/pdf?version=1728805961","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147915298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimization of SOX2 Expression for Enhanced Glioblastoma Stem Cell Virotherapy.","authors":"Dongwook Kim, Abraham Puig, Faranak Rabiei, Erial J Hawkins, Talia F Hernandez, Chang K Sung","doi":"10.3390/sym16091186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16091186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Zika virus has been shown to infect glioblastoma stem cells via the membrane receptor <math> <mrow><msub><mi>α</mi> <mi>v</mi></msub> <msub><mi>β</mi> <mn>5</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> , which is activated by the stem-specific transcription factor SOX2. Since the expression level of SOX2 is an important predictive marker for successful virotherapy, it is important to understand the fundamental mechanisms of the role of SOX2 in the dynamics of cancer stem cells and Zika viruses. In this paper, we develop a mathematical ODE model to investigate the effects of SOX2 expression levels on Zika virotherapy against glioblastoma stem cells. Our study aimed to identify the conditions under which SOX2 expression level, viral infection, and replication can reduce or eradicate the glioblastoma stem cells. Analytic work on the existence and stability conditions of equilibrium points with respect to the basic reproduction number are provided. Numerical results were in good agreement with analytic solutions. Our results show that critical threshold levels of both SOX2 and viral replication, which change the stability of equilibrium points through population dynamics such as transcritical and Hopf bifurcations, were observed. These critical thresholds provide the optimal conditions for SOX2 expression levels and viral bursting sizes to enhance therapeutic efficacy of Zika virotherapy against glioblastoma stem cells. This study provides critical insights into optimizing Zika virus-based treatment for glioblastoma by highlighting the essential role of SOX2 in viral infection and replication.</p>","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12061075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuclear Shape-Phase Transitions and the Sextic Oscillator","authors":"Géza Lévai, José M. Arias","doi":"10.3390/sym15112059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15112059","url":null,"abstract":"This review delves into the utilization of a sextic oscillator within the β degree of freedom of the Bohr Hamiltonian to elucidate critical-point solutions in nuclei, with a specific emphasis on the critical point associated with the β shape variable, governing transitions from spherical to deformed nuclei. To commence, an overview is presented for critical-point solutions E(5), X(5), X(3), Z(5), and Z(4). These symmetries, encapsulated in simple models, all model the β degree of freedom using an infinite square-well (ISW) potential. They are particularly useful for dissecting phase transitions from spherical to deformed nuclear shapes. The distinguishing factor among these models lies in their treatment of the γ degree of freedom. These models are rooted in a geometrical context, employing the Bohr Hamiltonian. The review then continues with the analysis of the same critical solutions but with the adoption of a sextic potential in place of the ISW potential within the β degree of freedom. The sextic oscillator, being quasi-exactly solvable (QES), allows for the derivation of exact solutions for the lower part of the energy spectrum. The outcomes of this analysis are examined in detail. Additionally, various versions of the sextic potential, while not exactly solvable, can still be tackled numerically, offering a means to establish benchmarks for criticality in the transitional path from spherical to deformed shapes. This review extends its scope to encompass related papers published in the field in the past 20 years, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of critical-point symmetries in nuclear physics. To facilitate this understanding, a map depicting the different regions of the nuclide chart where these models have been applied is provided, serving as a concise summary of their applications and implications in the realm of nuclear structure.","PeriodicalId":48874,"journal":{"name":"Symmetry-Basel","volume":"33 8","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134991422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}