Hyper-Chaotic Color Image Encryption Based on Transformed Zigzag Diffusion and RNA Operation.

With increasing utilization of digital multimedia and the Internet, protection on this digital information from cracks has become a hot topic in the communication field. As a path for protecting digital visual information, image encryption plays a crucial role in modern society. In this paper, a novel six-dimensional (6D) hyper-chaotic encryption scheme with three-dimensional (3D) transformed Zigzag diffusion and RNA operation (HCZRNA) is proposed for color images. For this HCZRNA scheme, four phases are included. First, three pseudo-random matrices are generated from the 6D hyper-chaotic system. Second, plaintext color image would be permuted by using the first pseudo-random matrix to convert to an initial cipher image. Third, the initial cipher image is placed on cube for 3D transformed Zigzag diffusion using the second pseudo-random matrix. Finally, the diffused image is converted to RNA codons array and updated through RNA codons tables, which are generated by codons and the third pseudo-random matrix. After four phases, a cipher image is obtained, and the experimental results show that HCZRNA has high resistance against well-known attacks and it is superior to other schemes.

New insights into the effects and mechanism of a classic traditional Chinese medicinal formula on influenza prevention.

BACKGROUND: KangBingDu (KBD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicinal formula widely used to treat influenza. However, little information is available from controlled studies regarding the anti-influenza pharmacological activities of KBD and its underlying mechanisms, at least partly due to the lack of appropriate study models. PURPOSE: We hypothesized that KBD might provide a protection against influenza infection by reducing the host's susceptibility to viruses. To prove it, mouse restraint stress model was employed. METHODS: Mice were restricted and infected with influenza virus. KBD (13 and 26mg/kg/d) was orally administrated to mice from the first day of restraint stress and lasted for 7 days (twice a day). Mice were monitored daily for morbidity, symptom severity, and mortality for 21 days. The histopathologic changes were examined. For the study of mechanisms of action, we investigated whether KBD could promote mitochondria antiviral signaling protein (MAVS)-mediated antiviral signal and inhibit nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)-mediated inflammation response. RESULTS: KBD significantly decreased the susceptibility of restraint mice to influenza virus, as evidenced by lowered mortality, attenuated inflammation and reduced viral replications in lungs. Further results revealed that KBD elevated the protein expression of MAVS, which subsequently increased the IFN-ß and IFITM3 protein levels, thereby helping to fight viral infections. Finally, we identified that (R,S)-goitrin, mangiferin, forsythin and forsythoside A were effective components in KBD against influenza viral infections. CONCLUSION: KBD can reduce the susceptibility to influenza virus via mitochondrial antiviral signaling.