An Improved PMU Data Manipulation Attack Model

The importance of Phasor Manipulation Unit (PMU) in the smart grid makes it a target for attackers who can create PMU Data Manipulation Attacks (PDMA) by adding a small constant to change the magnitude and angle of the voltage and current captured by the PMU. To prevent the attack result from being detected by PDMA detection based on the properties of equivalent impedance, this paper proposes a collaborative step attack. In this attack, the equivalent impedance’s value on the end of the transmission line is equal whether before or after been attack, which is taken as the constraint condition. The objective function of it is to minimize the number of the elements which is not 0 in attack vector but this number is not 0. Turn a vector construction problem into an optimization problem by building objective functions and constraints and then we use the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) and Convex Relaxation (CR) to solve. The experiment verifies the feasibility of using the CR-ADMM algorithm to construct attack vectors from two aspects of attack vector construction time and vector sparsity. Further, it uses the constructed attack vectors to carry out attacks on PMU. The experimental results show that the measurement value of PMU will change after the attack, but the equivalent impedance value at both ends of the transmission line remains the same. The attack vector successfully bypasses the PDMA detection method based on the property of equivalent impedance and the attack model constructed based on this method was more covert than the original model.

HHi-FiVe: A high-fidelity genetic engineering pipeline for construction of herpesvirus-based vaccines

Herpesvirus-based vectors are attractive for use both as conventional and as transmissible vaccines against emerging zoonoses in hard-to-reach animal populations. However, the threat of off-site mutations during genetic manipulation of vector genomes poses a significant challenge to vaccine construction. Herein, we present the HHi-FiVe (herpesvirus high-fidelity vector) construction pipeline for generating herpesvirus-based vectors by modifying bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and monitoring integrity at each stage by complete genome sequencing. We used this pipeline to repair a highly mutated rhesus cytomegalovirus BAC containing an Ebola virus transgene. The vector derived from this BAC had been shown previously to protect rhesus macaques from lethal Ebola virus challenge by conventional vaccination. Repair of this BAC restored wild-type cellular tropism to the vector, which is essential for transmissible vaccination. Construction of this candidate transmissible vaccine against Ebola virus demonstrates the utility of the HHi-FiVe pipeline for creating precision-made herpesvirus-based vectors.

A Methodological Advance of Tobacco Rattle Virus-Induced Gene Silencing for Functional Genomics in Plants

As a promising high-throughput reverse genetic tool in plants, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has already begun to fulfill some of this promise in diverse aspects. However, review of the technological advancements about widely used VIGS system, tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated gene silencing, needs timely updates. Hence, this article mainly reviews viral vector construction, inoculation method advances, important influential factors, and summarizes the recent applications in diverse plant species, thus providing a better understanding and advice for functional gene analysis related to crop improvements.

LPS Mediates Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cell Pyroptosis Directly Through Both NLRP3 Classical and Non-Classical Inflammasome Pathways

As a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death, pyroptosis is triggered by pro-inflammatory signals and associated with inflammation. It is characterized by cell swelling and large bubbles emerging from the plasma membrane, which release cytokines during inflammation. Compared with other types of cell death, pyroptosis has a distinct morphology and mechanism and involves special inflammasome cascade pathways. However, the inflammasome mechanism through which endometrial epithelial cell pyroptosis occurs in LPS-mediated inflammation remains unclear. We confirmed that there was an increased mRNA and protein expression of the IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18 cytokines, the inflammasome molecules NLRP3, CASPASE-1, CASPASE-4, and GSDMD in LPS-induced primary bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) in an in vitro established inflammatory model using ELISA, real-time PCR (RT-PCR), vector construction and transfection, and Western blotting. Scanning electron microscopy and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assays revealed induced cell membrane rupture, which is the main characteristic of pyroptosis. In conclusion, the cytolytic substrate GSDMD’s cleavage by caspase-1 or caspase-4 through the NLRP3 classical and non-classical inflammasome pathways, GSDMD N-terminus bind to the plasma membrane to form pores and release IL -18, IL-1β cause cell death during LPS induced BEECs inflammation.

Targeted Gene Editing in Plants using CRISPR-Cas9, Single-Stranded DNA Oligonucleotides, and Protoplast Regeneration

Genome editing requires insertion of DNA sequences into specific locations. Protocols involving clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins rely on homology-directed repair, require laborious vector construction, and have low efficiency. DNA oligonucleotides can be used as donors for targeted insertion via nonhomologous end joining. Our simple protocol eliminates the need for expensive equipment and vector construction by using polyethylene glycol to deliver non-modified single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein into protoplasts. We achieved targeted insertion frequencies of up to 50.0% in Nicotiana benthamiana and 13.6% in rapid cycling Brassica oleracea without antibiotic selection. Using a 60-nt donor containing 27 nt in each homologous arm, 6 of 22 regenerated plants showed targeted insertions, and 1 contained a precise insertion of a 6-bp EcoRI site. Whole-genome sequencing showed that the DNA inserted only in the targeted positions, and genetic analysis showed that the inserted sequences transmitted to the next generation.