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[Display omitted] • Traversal design and machine learning guided discovery of AMPs. • An efficient de novo STAMPs design strategy was proposed to treat MRSA infections. • P18E6 can disrupt MRSA cell walls and membranes and eliminates established biofilms. • BEP can self-assemble into nanonetworks and entrap MRSA. • BEP can synergize with AMPs to enhance 4-fold antibacterial activity. The design of precision antimicrobials aims to personalize the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections and avoid host microbiota dysbiosis. This study aimed to propose an efficient de novo design strategy to obtain specifically targeted antimicrobial peptides (STAMPs) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We evaluated three strategies designed to increase the selectivity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for MRSA and mainly adopted an advanced hybrid peptide strategy. First, we proposed a traversal design to generate sequences, and constructed machine learning models to predict the anti- S. aureus activity levels of unknown peptides. Subsequently, six peptides were predicted to have high activity, among which, a broad-spectrum AMP (P18) was selected. Finally, the two targeting peptides from phage display libraries or lysostaphin were used to confer specific anti- S. aureus activity to P18. STAMPs were further screened out from hybrid peptides based on their in vitro and in vivo activities. An advanced hybrid peptide strategy can enhance the specific and targeted properties of broad-spectrum AMPs. Among 25 assessed peptides, 10 passed in vitro tests, and two peptides containing one bacterial-entrapping peptide (BEP) and one STAMP passed an in vivo test. The lead STAMP (P18E6) disrupted MRSA cell walls and membranes, eliminated established biofilms, and exhibited desirable biocompatibility, systemic distribution and efficacy, and immunomodulatory activity in vivo. Furthermore, a bacterial-entrapping peptide (BEP, SP5) modified from P18, self-assembled into nanonetworks and rapidly entrapped MRSA. SP5 synergized with P18E6 to enhance antibacterial activity in vitro and reduced systemic MRSA infections. This strategy may aid in the design of STAMPs against drug-resistant strains, and BEPs can serve as powerful STAMP adjuvants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of wireless communication, there is growing interest in molecular communication (MC), which integrates nano-, bio-, and communication technologies. Inspired by nature, MC uses molecules to transmit data, especially in environments where EM waves struggle to penetrate. In MC, signals can be distinguished based on molecular concentration, known as concentrated-encoded molecular communication (CEMC). These molecules diffuse through an MC channel and are received via ligand–receptor binding mechanisms. Synchronization in CEMC is critical for minimizing errors and enhancing communication performance. This study introduces a novel preamble-based noncoherent synchronization method, specifically designed for resource-constrained environments like nanonetworks. The method's simple, low-complexity structure makes it suitable for nanomachines, while machine learning (ML) techniques are used to improve synchronization accuracy by adapting to the nonlinear characteristics of the channel. The proposed approach leverages ML to achieve robust performance. Simulation results demonstrate a synchronization probability of 0.8 for a transmitter-receiver distance of 1 cm, given a molecular collection time duration four times the pulse duration. These results confirm the significant benefits of integrating ML, showcasing improved synchronization probability and reduced mean square error. The findings contribute to the advancement of efficient and practical MC systems, offering insights into synchronization and error reduction in complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of nano-technology has enabled novel applications in various fields, including the potential for miniaturized terahertz (THz)-enabled devices. The extra-large bandwidth available in the THz spectrum can facilitate high-speed communication, even for transmission through lossy media. Culminating these capabilities, this paper introduces a new paradigm: Internet of Paint (IoP), transforming the 40,000-year-old concept of paint with extensive connectivity and sensing capabilities. IoP will enable seamless, massively parallel, and high-capacity communication and sensing capabilities, enabling innovative applications. IoP is expected to offer communication and sensing using nano-devices embedded in paint. In this paper, challenges towards the realization of IoP are discussed. Simulations indicate that THz signals in this stratified medium can form lateral waves that propagate along the Air-Paint interface and that relatively high channel capacity can be achieved by optimizing the transceiver locations, the paint thickness, and color. Addressing the challenges regarding nano-devices, nano-transceivers, materials, antennas, and power for IoP holds the potential to transform communication technologies and their seamless integration with living spaces.

The advent of groundbreaking nanomaterials like graphene, renowned for their exceptional electrical properties, has ignited significant interest in nanocommunication. The potential to develop graphene-based plasmonic nanoantenna arrays and transceivers, combined with the capability of transmitting nanocommunication pulses at terahertz (THz) frequencies—bridging the THz gap in the electromagnetic spectrum—has been particularly compelling. Over the past decade, research in nanocommunication has led to remarkable advancements, particularly in the physical and link layers. These developments have paved the way for integrating fully operational nanonetworks into beyond 6G (B6G) wireless systems. Given the anticipated data rates in the terabits per second range for nanonetwork applications, continuous efforts are being made to develop new modulation and multiple access (MA) schemes. This survey paper explores the most advanced modulation and MA strategies tailored for B6G nanosystems operating in the THz band. Unlike previous surveys, our focus is on the physical layer, emphasizing rate-division and time-hopping strategies, including pulse position and pulse amplitude modulation techniques. We begin with an introduction to the foundational aspects of nanocommunication as an integral part of B6G nanosystems, followed by a detailed examination of various modulation schemes and their applicability to MA in nanonetworks. The paper concludes with a comparative analysis of these approaches regarding link capacity and a discussion of key open issues and future research directions for the design of electromagnetic nanocommunication systems.

Electrochromic (EC) fibers capable of optical transmission, reflection, and emission modulation are highly desired for promising applications in electronic display, adaptive camouflage, and visual sensation. However, the non‐uniform electric field of the fiber structure and the lack of electrochemically stable transparent conductive electrodes still limit the practical applications of EC fibers. In this work, scalable EC fibers with long‐range modulation performance and electrochemical stability are fabricated using Ag@Au nanowires (AANWs) nanonetwork and parallel dual‐electrode. Benefiting from the electrochemically resistant Au shell layer that inhibits the oxidation of the nanonetwork electrodes, the EC fibers still maintain excellent EC performance even after 300 color changes. The synergistic interaction between the unique AANWs nanonetwork and the parallel dual‐electrode structure enables the 10 m‐long EC fibers to maintain rapid switching speeds and excellent color uniformity. Additionally, the utilization of mechanical looms to weave long EC fibers has facilitated the practical application of EC fibers in wearable displays, adaptive camouflage, and visual sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Periodic blood transfusion is a need in cancer patients in which the disease process as well as the chemotherapy can disrupt the natural production of blood cells. However, there are concerns about blood transfusion side effects, the cost, and the availability of donated blood. Therefore, predicting the timely requirement for blood transfusion considering patient variability is a need, and here for the first-time deal with this issue in blood cancer using in vivo data. First, a data set of 98 samples of blood cancer patients including 61 features of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data are collected. After performing multivariate analysis and the approval of an expert, effective parameters are derived. Then using a deep recurrent neural network, a system is presented to predict a need for packed red blood cell transfusion. Here, we use a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network for modeling and the cross-validation technique with 5 layers for validation of the model along with comparing the result with networking and non-networking machine learning algorithms including bidirectional LSTM, AdaBoost, bagging decision tree based, bagging KNeighbors, and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). Results show the LSTM outperforms the other methods. Then, using the swarm of fuzzy bioinspired nanomachines and the most effective parameters of Hgb, PaO2, and pH, we propose a feasibility study on nano fuzzy alarming system (NFABT) for blood transfusion requirements. Alarming decisions using the Internet of Things (IoT) gateway are delivered to the physician for performing medical actions. Also, NFABT is considered a real-time non-invasive AI-based hemoglobin monitoring and alarming method. Results show the merits of the proposed method.

The development of new methods for the synthesis of nanosystems with plasmonic properties and for their analysis is an important field of modern photonics. Here, low-temperature laser synthesis of quasi-two-dimensional gold nanonetworks (with individual nanowire diameters of 5 nm) is carried out in superfluid helium. The plasmonic properties of nanosystems obtained in this way are investigated by Raman scattering for the first time. Possible features of the near field in these systems are studied using three-dimensional numerical electrodynamic modeling by the finite element method in the visible to near-infrared spectral range (400–1000 nm). The complex internal structure of hot spots arising around two intersecting 5-nm nanowires (the elementary model unit) and the diversity of their localization types, showing tip-to-gap transition, are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating the near-surface structure of platinum-based alloys by inserting transition metal atoms can significantly improve the electro-oxidative performance of small organic molecules. So far, it is rarely reported that a small amount of Au element is introduced into the interior of Pt-based alloys as an active auxiliary to adjust the electrocatalytic activity and stability of Pt-based alloys with special morphologies. Herein, a stable three-dimensional (3D) Au-doped PtCu 2 /C (Au–PtCu 2 /C) catalyst with nanonetwork structure and abundant interfaces has been successfully developed, in which the oxyphilic Cu atoms and stable Au atoms are implanted into the whole and inside of the Pt-based nanonetwork, respectively. Detailed physical characterizations of the Au–PtCu 2 /C catalyst illustrate that the insertion of Au atoms generates core-shell-like nanonetwork, highly-open structure, strong electronic effect, and sufficient active sites. The well-designed Au–PtCu 2 /C catalyst exhibits superior mass activity (MA) of 2355 mA·mg Pt −1 and long-term durability of 500 cycles toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in an acidic medium. Notably, the MA of the Au–PtCu 2 /C catalyst is 7.3 folds and 1.3 folds that of the Pt/C (322 mA·mg Pt −1) and PtCu 2 /C (1821 mA·mg Pt −1) catalysts, respectively. The kinetic and thermodynamics studies indicate that the Au–PtCu 2 /C catalyst is superior to PtCu 2 /C and Pt/C catalysts in reducing the electrochemical activation energy of MOR, promoting the mass transfer of methanol molecules, and enhancing electronic conductivity. This work proposes an advanced strategy to fabricate efficient and durable electrocatalyst with excellent electrocatalytic MOR performance, thereby enabling catalysts with special morphology to have greater application potential in direct methanol fuel cell. [Display omitted] • Au-doped PtCu 2 /C nanonetwork was fabricated via surfactant-free solvothermal strategy. • Au–PtCu 2 /C catalyst shows abundant interfaces and core-shell-like structure. • Au element is served as an active auxiliary to enhance the electrocatalytic performance. • Au–PtCu 2 /C exhibits superior mass activity and long-term durability toward MOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treating the most widespread complication of diabetes: diabetic wounds poses a significant clinical obstacle due to the intricate nature of wound healing in individuals with diabetes. Here a novel approach is proposed using easily applicable injectable gelatin/metal/tea polyphenol double nanonetworks, which effectively remodel the wound microenvironment and accelerates the healing process. The gelatin(Gel) crosslink with metal ions (Zr4+) through the amino acids, imparting advantageous mechanical properties like self‐healing, injectability, and adhesion. The nanonetwork's biological functions are further enhanced by incorporating the tea polyphenol metal nanonetwork through in situ doping of the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with great antibacterial, self‐healing, antioxidant, and anticancer capabilities. The in vitro and in vivo tests show that this double nanonetworks hydrogel exhibits faster cell migration and favorable anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can greatly reshape the microenvironment of diabetic wounds and accelerate the wound healing rate. In addition, this hydrogel is completely degraded after subcutaneous injection for 7 days, with nondetectable cytotoxicity in H&E staining of major mice organs and the serum level of liver function indicators. Considering the above‐mentioned merits of this hydrogel, it is believed that the injectable gelatin/metal/tea polyphenol double nanonetworks have broad biomedical potential, especially in diabetic wound repair and tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of networks within natural wood (NW) lumens to produce porous wood aerogels (WAs) with fascinating characteristics of being lightweight, flexible, and porous is significant for the high value-added utilization of wood. Nonetheless, how wood species affect the structure and properties of WAs has not been comprehensively investigated. Herein, typical softwood of fir and hardwoods of poplar and balsa are employed to fabricate WAs with abundant nanofibrillar networks using the method of lignin removal and nanofibril's in situ regeneration. Benefiting from the avoidance of xylem ray restriction and the exposure of the cellulose framework, hardwood has a stronger tendency to form nanofibrillar networks compared to softwood. Specifically, a larger and more evenly distributed network structure is displayed in the lumens of balsa WAs (WA-3) with a low density (59 kg m−3), a high porosity (96%), and high compressive properties (strain = 40%; maximum stress = 0.42 MPa; height retention = 100%) because of the unique structure and properties of WA-3. Comparatively, the specific surface area (SSA) exhibits 25-, 27-, and 34-fold increments in the cases of fir WAs (WA-1), poplar WAs (WA-2), and WA-3. The formation of nanofibrillar networks depends on the low-density and thin cell walls of hardwood. This work offers a foundation for investigating the formation mechanisms of nanonetworks and for expanding the potential applications of WAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient and cost‐effective electrocatalysts as substitutes for noble metals remains a big challenge, which demands significant advancements in both material designing and mechanistic understanding. Herein, Co3O4/CeO2 heterojunction nanonetworks are successfully synthesized through metal organic framework precursor. Notably, Co3O4/CeO2 heterojunctions can effectively regulate electronic structure of Co3O4, thus inducing oxygen atom from Co3O4 lattice to participating in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) via lattice oxygen‐mediated mechanism, which reduces reaction overpotential. Additionally, the porous network structure can facilitate electrolyte transfer and provide more active sites for electrocatalytic reactions. Consequently, Co3O4/CeO2 heterojunction nanonetworks exhibit great electrocatalytic performance and high durability, requiring only an OER overpotential of 259 mV at current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH, markedly outperforming Co3O4 nanocatalysts (309 mV) and showing promising potential as substitutable non‐noble OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The communication of nanometer-sized integrated devices called nanobots in the human body is very important for the realization of collaborative behaviors and complex healthcare tasks. To have a functional and feasible intrabody perpetual nanonetwork, communication energy saving is essential. In this paper, we investigate the impact of the integration of semi-permanent wired clusters (SPWC) into intrabody wireless perpetual nanonetworks for reducing the total wireless traffic and saving the nanobots' energy of the communication to improve the packet delivery ratio and reliability of the nanonetworks. We compare the proposed semi-permanent wired clusters with the previous work of opportunistic wired clusters (OWC) as well as the baseline nanonetwork without wired clusters. Two operation modes are proposed to manage the SPWC clusters which are SPWC with only one active receiver in a cluster and SPWC with all active receivers in a cluster. We investigate the performance impact of the proposed SPWC architecture in its two operation modes and compare them with the previous work of OWC as well as the baseline nanonetwork with extensive simulations. The impact of wired cluster size, wire length and nanobot density on the network performance are studied. The results show a significant packet delivery improvement of SPWC over the baseline and a relative improvement over OWC with fewer physical limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent nanomedical applications, particularly targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) scenarios, have made use of molecular communications via diffusion (MCvD) based on nanosystems. In order to improve the performance of such nanosystems, nanonetworks-based molecular communication is investigated. Employing a nanorelay approach and cooperative molecular communications, we provide a method for optimizing the performance of the nanosystem while taking blood flow effects into consideration in terms of drift velocity. Unlike the earlier studies, the position of the nanorelay and the allocated amount of molecular drugs will be optimized. We provide closed-form expressions for molecular channel capacity and the error probability of a molecular frame. According to the simulation results, it is possible to significantly reduce error probability of a molecular frame and thus increase channel capacity by optimizing the drift velocity, detection threshold and the location of the nanorelay within the proposed nanosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State machine is a concept originally proposed for computational numerical systems and used for modeling systems with applications in several fields. Governed by its own logic, an input produces a change of state and an output on the machine. The routing by FSM technique uses this dynamic to generate numerical sequences that represent the network nodes and the routes through which data transmission is allowed. With this, the number of transmissions is reduced and, consequently, the energy consumption. Due to its low complexity, the technique is particularly interesting in the context of networks with limited resources, such as wireless sensor networks and nanodevice networks. In this work, we show that for several scenarios the technique becomes inefficient due to the large number of routes produced and we propose a new implementation whereby the packet size remains reduced for a wide range of routing parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to obtain an optically transparent electrode based on the oriented nanonetworks of nickel in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate matrix. Optically transparent electrodes are used in many modern devices. Therefore, the search for new inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials for them remains an urgent task. We have previously developed a material for optically transparent electrodes based on oriented platinum nanonetworks. This technique was upgraded to obtain a cheaper option from oriented nickel networks. The study was carried out to find the optimal electrical conductivity and optical transparency values of the developed coating, and the dependence of these values on the amount of nickel used was investigated. The figure of merit (FoM) was used as a criterion for the quality of the material in terms of finding the optimal characteristics. It was shown that doping PEDOT: PSS with p-toluenesulfonic acid in the design of an optically transparent electroconductive composite coating based on oriented nickel networks in a polymer matrix is expedient. It was found that the addition of p-toluenesulfonic acid to an aqueous dispersion of PEDOT: PSS with a concentration of 0.5% led to an eight-fold decrease in the surface resistance of the resulting coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodevices (NDs), which are only a few nanometers (nm) in size, need to communicate with each other to perform complex operations. In nanonetworks, this communication typically involves multiple hops, requiring efficient routing protocols. Existing protocols are not well suited for nanonetworks due to their high resource consumption and setup overhead. In this paper, we propose three novel routing protocols for nanodevices. Non-Back Flooding Routing (NBFR) and Layer-Based Flooding Routing (LBFR) aim to reduce unnecessary packet transmission by utilizing distance and layer information based on received signal power. On the other hand, Tree-Based Forwarding Routing (TBFR) is a unicast-based approach that aims to transmit the packet to the destination using the shortest and most reliable path possible through a tree structure. The performance of these proposed methods is compared to well-known methods in terms of packet transmission, energy consumption, end-to-end delay, and setup overhead. TBFR achieved a packet transmission success of 92.95% in topology with the highest density of nanorouters (NRs), while it reached up to 99.57% for fewer nanorouters. Moreover, its end-to-end delay values are much lower than those of multi-path routing protocols. It also consumed one-fifth of the energy compared to its most challenging multi-path competitor, NBFR, regarding packet transmission success. However, for dense nanosensor (NS) topologies, NBFR and LBFR achieved higher packet transmission rates of 87.04% and 86.66%, respectively. Furthermore, in addition to achieving low end-to-end delays, the energy consumption of NBFR is very close to that of TBFR. In summary, the tests show that TBFR is more suitable for communication among nanorouters due to the requirement of building the tree structure, which results in a slightly higher setup overhead. In contrast, NBFR and LBFR are more suitable for communication between nanosensors because of their simplicity and low setup overhead. But, it should be noted that NBFR requires a larger header than the other alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular communication via diffusion (MCvD) is one of the paradigms in nanonetworks. Finding an approximation or analytical solution for the fraction of the received molecules to analyze the channel behavior is essential in molecular communication. Current studies propose approximations to model simple channel topologies, i.e. topologies with few nodes. To model complex channel topologies, time-consuming particle-based Monte Carlo simulations are used. We propose MCvD-Transformer to avoid the time-consuming simulations and estimate the fraction of the received molecules for complex topologies. MCvD-Transformer is trained via instances containing various topologies and time-dependent estimations for a fraction of received molecules estimated by particle-based Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, MCvD-Transformer is compared with both the studies in the literature and the simulations. As a result, MCvD-Transformer performs better than literature studies in terms of root mean squared error and maximum normalized absolute error metrics on our test dataset. Therefore, the proposed model is more accurate in modeling complex MCvD topologies than the current state of the art without time-consuming simulations. Additionally, it is expected to be a benchmark for the works that focus on complex MCvD topologies. [Display omitted] • Estimation of the expected fraction of the received molecules until time t for complex and generic 3D MCvD channel topologies using ANN. • Elimination of time-consuming simulations. • Being a benchmark for future studies focusing on complex topologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the mutual information of synaptic molecular communications using a realistic end-to-end synaptic model. In particular, we have considered the influence of astrocytes on neural signaling within the synaptic molecular communication. We have evaluated the average mutual information of the resultant tripartite synapse while considering realistic synaptic geometry that accounts for neurotransmitter reflections from the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic boundaries. The clearance of neurotransmitters from the synapse through diffusion and re-absorption by pre-synaptic terminal is also considered in the simulated model. Moreover, we have used a generic three-state model for postsynaptic receptors to include desensitization state of the receptors. The presented simulation results depict the effects of different pre-synaptic and post-synaptic parameters on the information transfer for a tripartite synaptic channel with three-state receptor model, which is more realistic than the commonly-used bipartite synaptic channel with the two-state receptor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, advancements in nanotechnology have opened up new frontiers in communication systems, bringing the dream of seamless communication at the nanoscale level closer to reality. With further research and advancements, nanoscale communication networks have the potential to revolutionize our interactions with the world around us. Among the most promising and cutting-edge areas in this field are electromagnetic (EM) nanocommunication in the Terahertz (THz) band (0.1-10 THz) [[1]] and molecular nanocommunication (MNC) [[2]]. [Extracted from the article]

The traditional Ag nanowire preparation means that it cannot meet the demanding requirements of photoelectrochemical devices due to the undesirable conductivity, difficulty in compounding, and poor heat resistance. Here, we prepared an Ag nanonetwork with superior properties using a special template method based on electrospinning technology. The transparent conductive films based on Ag nanonetworks have good transmittance in a wide range from ultraviolet to visible. It is important that the films have high operability and are easy to be compounded with other materials. After compounding with high-melting-point W metal, the heat-resistance temperature of the W/Ag composite transparent conductive films is increased by 100 °C to 460 °C, and the light transmission and electrical conductivity of the films are not significantly affected. All experimental phenomena in the study are analyzed theoretically. This research can provide an important idea for the metal nanowire electrode, which is difficult to be applied to the photoelectrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting behavior of two-dimensional (2D) disordered nanowire networks (DNNs) is studied. We find that the length-ratio (ηcp) of conducting paths to all nanowires in the network plays a key role in determining the network conductivity. An algorithm is designated to monitor the formation of conducting paths in the networks and the evolution of network conductance at the same time. As either the area fraction or length of nanowires increases, the length-ratio (ηcp) of the conducting paths expands; meanwhile, the network conductance increases. The network conductance is normalized by the conductance of the regular network so that normalized network conductivity (σ) is obtained. A linear relationship is observed when plotting r against ηcp. An equation of σ = 2(ηcp -0:5) is obtained when ηcp is higher than the threshold. It could fit most part of the simulated plots, except for the region near ηcp ~ 0:5. 2D transparent and conductive films are built from randomly arranged silver nanowires. Linear behavior is also observed, with the slope less than 2, which is due to the existence of the junction resistance between nanowires. The obtained equation is in agreement with the previous result of the Effective Medium Theory. Finally, the length-ratio (ηcp) could serve as a basic topological parameter in describing the conducting behavior of DNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing food-related materials via biomanufacturing is expected to overcome the risks of microplastics and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances posed by traditional materials such as plastics. Here, we report a biomanufacturing strategy to prepare high-performance polysaccharide-derived edible (PSE) straws. Starch is uniformly integrated in situ into the three-dimensional cellulose nanonetwork produced by bacteria during biosynthesis. The starch undergoes phase transitions to fill the pores of the cellulose nanonetwork as an inherent structural binder that reinforces the interpenetrating network and greatly enhances the interlayer bonding of the PSE straws. Notably, the biomanufacturing network structure and high-density hydrogen bonds endow PSE straws with outstanding strength, modulus, and thermal stability, surpassing those of commercially available straws. This biomanufacturing strategy can fabricate edible straws as a healthy substitute for plastics and pave the way for developing new kinds of eco-friendly and high-performance materials via biosynthesis.

This study explores the application of molecular communication (MC) for the enhancement of the performance of sequential drug delivery in combination therapy—a multi-drug treatment procedure. To achieve high efficacy, it is essential to maintain a delivery time interval (DTI) between consecutive drug administrations. To this end, this study proposes a coordination scheme that enables the control of the release times of a network of drug-carrying nanomachines to ensure the maintenance of the DTI. Particularly, MC is employed to develop a centralized network, wherein the release times of the drugs from the drug-carrying nanomachines are managed by a controller nanomachine. This nanomachine is named the internal controller nanomachine, as it is placed within the human body. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated in terms of the DTI error. Furthermore, the analytical expression of the error is derived and its correctness is validated using simulations.

Summary: Diffusive biological nanonetworks have been established as a communication physical layer option and are envisaged to govern the development of future nanonetwork communications. Being the major communication paradigm in biological environments, it allows biological nanomachines to communicate through exchanging pulses of molecules in an aqueous medium being endogenous to these dimensions and following the requirements for biocompatibility and interoperability. The peculiarities of this nanoscale level, related mostly to the channel and the message carriers, hinder the performance of communication protocols. Therefore, in this work, parameters that affect the communication at the lowest level are being analyzed bringing new insights in the sector. Analyzing the major components that take part in the reception process, the dynamics of message transfer between nanonodes are revealed by a plethora of simulation scenarios. By entering into the equation the dynamics of chemotaxis, the behavior of such a system is scrutinized pertaining to the communication performance and stability. The proposed analysis revealed that unlike electromagnetic nanonetworks and due to the nature of the medium, there are factors that should be foreseen in the design of biological communication protocols. These significant deductions are supplementary to the established work, by shedding light on the special characteristics of biological communication entities and the way they affect the information exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chemotaxis has been studied as a means to improve communication performance in the promising field of biological nanonetworks. However, as of today, no protocols for reliable two‐way communications have been proposed in such networks. This work proposes a new protocol for switching between different chemotactic substances as a novel scheme to improve reliability of two‐way communications in biological nanonetworks. Multiple simulations, involving message exchange between stations and chemotactic release, were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed strategies and achieve a deeper understanding of the behaviour of molecular communication nanonetworks. Furthermore, a novel message sending strategy utilising chemorepellent is presented, which does not involve the release of new molecules into the medium. Simulating chemotactic substance as individual molecules allowed for a more accurate modelling of the system in the boundaries of the chemotactic interface, bringing out the wave‐like behaviour of the latter. The results of the experiments indicate the effectiveness of the proposed controlled release strategy in improving message transmission quality. Furthermore, based on the findings of this work, we propose amendments of existing protocols that incorporate switching between chemotactic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advances in nanotechnology, novel nanosensing technologies can play a pivotal role in today’s society. Plasmonic sensing has demonstrated unprecedented detection reliability and resolution in a very compact form factor. Traditional plasmonic sensors leverage biofunctionalized metallic grating structures whose frequency response in transmission or reflection changes according to the presence of targeted biomarkers. However, these sensing setups require bulky measurement equipment to couple light to and from sensors for excitation and detection. In parallel, for over a decade, the nanoscale electromagnetic communication community has been leveraging plasmonic structures to transmit information at the nanoscale efficiently. By combining the two realms, this paper proposes the concept of joint nanoscale communication and bio-sensing systems enabled by plasmonic sensing nanoantennas. Sensing nanonodes can communicate from nanonode to nanonode for intra-body networks and from nanonode to a wearable device which, by leveraging the edge, can process and transmit the sensing information to the cloud, resulting in accurate diagnosis and reduced load on the medical testing infrastructure. First, we model the changes in the frequency response of a biofunctionalized plasmonic nanoantenna when exposed to different biomarkers. Then, we propose a chirp-spread spectrum excitation and detection system to enable simultaneous communication and sensing at the nanoscale. We present a data-driven human tissue model for communication through human tissue. We also present numerical results to demonstrate the performance of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular communication (MC) is one of the emerging technologies enabling nanonetworks and the Internet of Everything (IoE). The practical implementation of the intra-body MC systems is crucial for realizing smart healthcare applications, i.e., drug delivery, early detection, and health monitoring, through communication between nanomachines. A Flexure field-effect transistor (FET) based MC receiver, providing high sensitivity by utilizing nonlinear electromechanical coupling, has recently been proposed. It can also identify neutral molecules, unlike bioFETs. Thus, virus or pathogen detection can be performed with onboard computing by these receivers placed in the Edge. To date, biosensor-based MC receivers have been analyzed only for concentration shift keying (CSK), although weight shift keying (WSK) is a very robust modulation technique. The Flexure-FET-based MC receiver is a great candidate for use in a WSK-based MC system since its transduction mechanism relies on the molecular weight. This work presents the first practical approach to a WSK-based MC system with an improved Flexure-FET-based MC receiver. Its key performance metrics are analyzed from a theoretical MC perspective, also considering biological interference to obtain a more realistic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular communication via diffusion (MCvD) is a novel communication technique that uses the diffusive characteristics of molecules for enabling the communication between nanomachines. Since the molecules propagate following a random motion, MCvD schemes are usually limited to a short communication range. Most of the molecular relaying schemes in the literature consider symmetric setups where transmitters and receivers are placed at the same distance from the relay, which is difficult to provide in practical scenarios and a possible cause of failure. In this study, asymmetric molecular links of a relay system are investigated. In order to achieve a satisfactory overall performance in spite of the asymmetries, two parameter optimization methods are proposed for the uplink of a relaying system, based on emitting different types of molecules with different diffusion coefficient values from the transmitters. Due to the channel symmetry, the solutions presented in this study are expected to hold for the downlink as well. The resulting bit error rate (BER) performances are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter investigates electrophoretic molecular communication (EMC) operating in circular duct channels. EMC utilizes the time-varying electrophoretic force that can controllably induce the movement of charged particles to enhance communication performance. In circular duct channels, where the memory component is high, intersymbol interference (ISI) must be considered. Thus, this letter presents a method to design an electric field under the framework of the calculus of variations, simultaneously reducing the ISI and strengthening the information signal reception. The numerical results show that the proposed electric field can significantly reduce the bit error rate compared to the constant field benchmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This protocol can be used for biological nanonetworks utilizing synthetic biology in order to transfuse the biological entities with the appropriate characteristics. Biological nanonetworks have been envisaged to be the most appropriate alternatives to classical electromagnetic nanonetworks for applications in biological environments. Due to the diffusional method of the message exchange process, transfer data rates are not proportional to their electromagnetic counterparts. In addition, the molecular channel has memory affecting the reception of a message, as the molecules from previously transmitted messages remain in the channel, affecting the number of information molecules that are required from a node to perceive a transmitted message. As a result, the ability of a node to receive a message is directly connected to the transmission rate from the transmitter. In this work, a learning automaton approach has been followed as a way to provide the receiver nodes with an algorithm that could firstly enhance their reception capability and secondly boost the performance of the transfer data rate between the biological communication parties. To this end, a complete set of simulation scenarios has been devised, simulating different distances between nodes and various input signal distributions. Most of the operational parameters, such as the speed of convergence for different numbers of ascension and descension steps and the number of information molecules per message, have been tested pertaining to the performance characteristics of the biological nanonetwork. The applied analysis revealed that the proposed protocol manages to adapt to the communication channel changes, such as the number of remaining information molecules, and can be successfully employed at nanoscale dimensions as a tool for pursuing an increased transfer data rate, even with time-variant channel characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noble metal anodic catalysts with three-dimension (3D) chain-like network structure have been researched thoroughly due to their unique morphological characteristics. Herein, a novel scheme has been designed rationally to synthesize 3D PdPb nanochain networks (PdPb NCNs). Numerous nanochains were interlaced and stacked to form the nanonetworks, which were contributed to improving electrocatalytic performance. Abundant steps and kinks existed on the nanochain networks, which provided plentiful active sites to improve the electrocatalytic activity. In the subsequent electrochemical tests, the mass activity of Pd 65 Pb 35 NCNs was 4.47 A mg pd −1, higher than other catalysts. Moreover, in the chronoamperometry and consecutive CV measurements, Pd 65 Pb 35 NCNs exhibited the best stability than other prepared samples. This work explored the rational synthesis of PdPb nanochain networks, and confirmed the excellent electrocatalytic performance in EGOR. [Display omitted] • The intertwined nanochain network structure was beneficial to optimize the electron transport process. • The catalyst components were optimized by controlling the amount of Pb(HCOO) 2. • Pd 65 Pb 35 NCNs displayed the excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability in EGOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Synchronous doping and alloying of Pd-based catalysts. • Tailoring the d-band center of Pd by accurately doping of P. • Maximizing the activity of PdCoP nanonetworks alloy catalyst for MOR. Modulating the d-orbital electronic structure of active metals by doping heteroatoms is efficient for the electro-catalysis of methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). However, precise doping hybrid atoms into the lattices of alloy catalysts remains challenging. Herein, the selected doping of electron-rich P atoms at the active site of Pd was achieved by hydrothermal reduction. We found that P atoms prefer to bond Pd atoms, thus tuning the electronic structure of active sites in PdCoP alloy. Consequently, the tailored PdCoP catalyst exhibited remarkable mass activity of 2.13 A mg Pd − 1 towards MOR, which surpasses most reported Pd-based alloy nanocatalysts. Theoretical calculations revealed that the tailored d-band center of Pd in PdCoP catalyst exhibited moderate adsorption of CO and OH intermediates, thus maximizing the MOR performance. The current work highlights the fabrication of P-doped Pd-based catalysts for realizing high MOR, which can be further extended to other energy-related applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an embedded synthetic relay transport protein (RTP) approach for communication between the external environment (blood vessels) and internal targeted nanonetworks (cells/tissues) within the intra-body network. In fact, we designed a bioengineered relay protein-based facilitated diffusing to be an alternative protein in the case of biological transport proteins (such as protein channels, e.g. Pores) failing. The proposed approach is inspired by the traditional wireless communication system-based relay concept, in which embedded nanodevices known as donor, relay, and acceptor bionanomachine construct a molecular communication system. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer nanocommunications are used to connect the embedded bionanomachines, and the therapeutic drug is transferred in the form of exciton. The performance analysis of the proposed approach is evaluated in terms of channel capacity of RTP as function of intrinsic environmental parameters and the location of the relay between the donor, and acceptor bionanomachines. The numerical results show that the proposed approach improves channel capacity by 16.7% over previous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuro-spike communication (NSC) is a communication method that includes electrical communication process and molecular communication process, which has been investigated extensively in recent years. The vesicle release process has a great influence on the accuracy of NSC systems. So the modeling of the vesicle release process has become a hot spot. There exist different vesicle release mechanisms, including univesicular release (UVR) case, multivesicular release (MVR) case and hybrid vesicle release (HVR) case. When a spike arrives, the UVR case refers to that at most one vesicle can be released. The MVR case refers to that more than one vesicle can be released. The HVR case is a mixed case of the UVR and MVR cases. This paper proposes the modeling of these three vesicle release cases. The theoretical analysis is conducted to compare them in terms of efficiency. Simulations are performed to evaluate the impacts of main vesicle releasing parameters on signal transmission accuracy. The simulation results show that the HVR model can effectively improve the transmission accuracy compared with UVR and MVR models under some conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely emerging research technology increases the need for real-time applications in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), which has made quality-based communication protocols an interesting and hot research topic. More specifically, network protocols must cope with power constraints while providing accurate quality assurance. In many of these applications, network traffic consists of delay-sensitive traffic and delay-tolerant traffic. Therefore, Quality of Service (QoS) routing becomes an important issue. The main purpose of this idea is to develop a way to improve the quality of the network and further improve throughput while at the same time creating an energy-saving method with excellent quality of service. This paper proposes to model an Energy Efficient Qualitative Routing Protocol (EEQRP) method based on an energy-efficient protocol that can be used to develop a fast, miniaturized, more energetic, and efficient way than existing routing protocols. It evaluates and compares the performance of the routing protocol (EEQRP). The Network Simulator-2 (NS2) is used to run and test the proposed system, which provides lower average latency, greater power savings, and a higher packet delivery rate than the current protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IoNT has recently gained attraction for its twenty-four-hour capability in chronic disease monitoring as well as fatal event prognostics such as heart attacks. In IoNT, nanonetworks are connected to the internet via local gateways. In this paper, we propose a rational data delivery approach (RDDA) that addresses the challenges encountered in the IoNT paradigm. Two major features have been considered while realizing rationality (cognition) in this approach; these are reasoning and learning. Reasoning is used to determine and prioritize the characteristics of a given traffic flow and select the next hop for data transmission along the direction of the data flow. Whereas reasoning helps in realizing short term objectives and helping the network improve its current status, learning is used to accomplish long-term goals such as improving the lifetime of the network. The response obtained from the history of the network helps in the learning process and also helps in planning preemptive feedback. Hence, the proposed RDDA approach is energy efficient and is designed to enhance the current status of the nanonetwork, and thus, assure quality of information (QoI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fact that nanonetworks'sensors are globally limited in their range of communication of processing power and their modeling and implementation of energy capacities, design and implementation of routing algorithms are considered a nontrivial task. In this paper, we propose an enhanced energy-efficient algorithm (E3A). E3A is a cognitive data delivery approach that addresses the challenges of data delivery in IoNT networks. The proposed approach caters to the grid-based distribution of the employed nanosensors on the monitored object/body organ to efficiently and effectively cope with the dynamicity of nanonetwork topology. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews previous related studies. Section 3 discusses our system models. Section 4 describes our proposed routing approach for IoNT paradigm. Section 5 provides performance evaluation for the proposed approach. Finally, Section 6 provides the conclusions and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale devices, also called nanomachines, form communication networks and cooperate with each other so that they can be used to perform complicated tasks. Such networks of nanodevices, named nanonetworks, envisioned to serve the functionality and performance of today’s Internet. This paper presents a comparative review of the state-of-the-art electromagnetic (EM) nanonetworks highlighting their potentials and challenges in a comprehensive manner. We first introduce the promising areas of applications of nanonetworks; therein, we explain how it can be useful in biomedical fields, environmental domains, consumer products, military systems, and on-chip wireless communications. Then, the survey focuses on the basic principles of fundamental physical layer issues enabling nanonetworks; the discussion includes frequency bands, modulation and demodulation, and EM properties of nanoparticles. Subsequently, the study provides an overview of transmission characteristics including channels, channel coding, and energy constraint nature of nanonetworks. Furthermore, we provide an in-depth discussion on nanoantenna highlighting its variants and their characteristics; give an overview of network layer issues; and discuss the security issues in EM nanonetworks. The study argues that despite the significant recent development of EM communication as one of the most desired modes of nano communications, the limited capabilities of nanomachines introduce a new set of challenges and unique requirements and pose unseen characteristics that need to be deliberately addressed. On that, the review finally provides a critical discussion on the applicability of EM mode for nano communication networks highlighting the future challenges with a set of perspectives of possible solutions.