Search Results (694)

The Modular Cosmic Ray Detector (MCORD) is a modular scintillator-based system employing silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and FPGA-based digital signal processing, designed for applications such as cosmic muon detection, veto systems, and detector calibration support. In this work, we investigate the influence of ambient temperature variations on detector performance, with particular emphasis on SiPM gain stability. Several automatic temperature compensation loops were implemented to stabilize the operating voltage of the sensors. Based on controlled laboratory measurements, we evaluate the effectiveness of different control strategies, including variations in temperature averaging time and threshold response criteria. The performance of each approach is compared in terms of gain stability and response dynamics. We identify the optimal temperature control configuration for planned MCORD measurements and present recent modifications to the detector electronics, including updated software for Analog Front End (AFE) control. Additionally, we describe modifications made to the detector’s electronics since the previous publication, including new software developed to control AFE electronics. Full article

This paper presents a digital signal processing (DSP) architecture that decouples the many entangled impairments encountered at the 1000Base-T link startup such as Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI), echo, near-end crosstalk (NEXT), pair swap, line delay skew, etc., and thus considerably simplifies physical layer (PHY) implementation. Code-subset remapping and delay alignment are employed in the DSP such that neither pair swap nor line delay skew would cause tap retraining of the adaptive equalizers during link startup. As a result, the echo and NEXT cancellers and the decision feedback equalizer (DFE) can be implemented in an efficient hybrid FIR architecture that incorporates a compact time-interleaved 4D-LMS circuit with the input delay line shared for both LMS adaptation and FIR filtering, leading to a 25.32% and 37.59% reduction in area and combinational cells, respectively, as synthesized in a 28 nm CMOS standard cell library. Co-simulations of the DSP with a realistic analog front-end (AFE) model show that the system meets BER < 10⁻¹⁰ for 150 m CAT-5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables while tracking up to ±200 ppm frequency deviation with a critical path of 6 ns. Full article

Background: Endometriosis and lipedema are chronic female-predominant disorders characterized by persistent pain that is frequently disproportionate to anatomical lesion burden. Although traditionally interpreted within distinct lesion-centered frameworks, both conditions exhibit striking clinical and epidemiological parallels, including hormonally modulated symptom dynamics, overlap with central pain syndromes, weak correlation between structural disease severity and pain intensity, and symptom clustering during reproductive transitions such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Methods: This study aims to synthesize clinical, molecular, neuroimmune, and endocrine evidence on the interrelationship between endometriosis and lipedema, and to propose a hypothesis-generating neuroimmune framework linking both conditions. This integrative narrative review conducted a non-systematic literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on mechanisms related to chronic pain, mast cell biology, TRPV1 signaling, CGRP-mediated neurogenic inflammation, intracrine steroidogenesis, and peripheral and central sensitization. Results: The review identifies convergent biological characteristics between the two diseases, including mast cell activation, macrophage polarization, endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis, angiogenesis, intracrine estrogen metabolism, and persistent inflammatory signaling. In endometriosis, direct evidence demonstrates increased sensory innervation, nerve growth factor expression, TRPV1 sensitization, CGRP-positive fibers, and mast cell-nerve interactions. In lipedema, convergent upstream mechanisms, including mast cell infiltration, elevated histamine levels, adipose tissue inflammation, and local estrogen activation, support the plausibility of a functionally analogous neuroimmune organization, despite incomplete direct neural characterization. In this context, the mast cell-TRPV1-CGRP axis is proposed as a biologically plausible framework, directly supported in endometriosis and currently hypothetical in lipedema, connecting peripheral sensitization, neurogenic inflammation, hormonal chronodependence, and central nociceptive amplification. The model further conceptualizes pain crises as transient events of instability within a sensitized neuroimmune network and proposes mechanistic phenotypes that integrate gastrointestinal, inflammatory, central, and hormonal triggers. Conclusion: Endometriosis and lipedema may represent topographically distinct manifestations of a shared neuroimmune process operating within hormone-sensitive tissues. Although the evidentiary basis remains asymmetric, with stronger mechanistic support in endometriosis than in lipedema, this framework provides a biologically plausible and experimentally testable model integrating endocrine, immune, neural, and vascular contributors to chronic pain amplification. This perspective supports coordinated translational investigation across reproductive biology, endocrinology, and pain medicine and may contribute to future mechanism-based stratification and therapeutic development. This work is hypothesis-generating and is not intended to establish causality or to provide clinical recommendations; all proposed mechanistic and therapeutic inferences require prospective experimental validation. Full article

The growing demand for reliable wearable devices that can continuously monitor vital signs and track health under various conditions imposes challenging constraints on battery life. Wearable devices typically include a Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor, which is used for various applications such as monitoring heart rate (HR) and blood oxygenation (${\mathrm{SpO}}_2$). The efficiency of these applications depends on the quality of the PPG sensor, which acquires raw data through the analog front-end and transmits it externally. This paper presents a digital block that evaluates the quality of the PPG signal directly within the ASIC. The proposed Signal Quality Assessment (SQA) module is derived from post-processing algorithms and translated into a real-time, single-sample evaluation approach, providing significant benefits at both the sensor and system levels. The proposed solution achieves performance comparable to state-of-the-art methods, with a sensitivity of 95.2%, a specificity of 88.1%, and an accuracy of 89.52%, while introducing an extremely low energy overhead equal to $5.38$ μ$\mathrm{J}$. Full article

Human spaceflight in microgravity induces profound physiological adaptations, yet its effects on the sensory system remain comparatively underexplored. While musculoskeletal and cardiovascular changes are well documented, sensory alterations pose equally important challenges to astronaut safety, performance, and post-mission recovery. Calcium ions (Ca²⁺), as universal intracellular messengers, play central roles in sensory transduction, neurotransmitter release, and adaptive signaling across all sensory modalities. Emerging evidence suggests that microgravity may influence Ca²⁺ homeostasis and Ca²⁺-dependent cellular processes, potentially affecting the functional integrity of sensory pathways. In this review, we synthesize current findings on the impact of microgravity on Ca²⁺-dependent processes in the five classical senses. Evidence from spaceflight studies, ground-based analogs, and related physiological models suggests possible alterations in taste receptor signaling, Ca²⁺-binding protein expression, mechanotransduction pathways, and vestibular function. However, direct evidence for microgravity-induced disruption of Ca²⁺ signaling remains limited for several sensory modalities. Collectively, these changes are associated with altered taste and smell perception, visual disturbances, reduced tactile sensitivity, and vestibular imbalance. By integrating both direct evidence and mechanistic hypotheses across sensory systems, this review highlights Ca²⁺ signaling as a potential unifying mechanism underlying sensory adaptation to microgravity. We further identify key knowledge gaps and discuss potential directions for developing targeted countermeasures aimed at preserving sensory function during long-duration missions. Beyond spaceflight, these insights contribute to a broader understanding of Ca²⁺-mediated sensory physiology under extreme environmental conditions. Full article

Background: Inhibitory processes in the nervous system are traditionally conceptualized as suppressive mechanisms; however, their fundamental role is the refinement and optimization of sensory information. In nociception, this function is mediated by the descending pain inhibitory system (DPIS), which modulates nociceptive transmission at multiple hierarchical levels. Biological sex and gender-related factors significantly influence these inhibitory pathways, yet they are often overlooked in clinical frameworks. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2025. Search terms included “descending pain inhibitory system,” “nociplastic pain,” “aging,” “sex differences,” “gender,” and “gut–brain axis.” Approximately 30 key references were synthesized. Results: The DPIS enhances the precision of nociceptive signals through mechanisms analogous to lateral inhibition. In chronic and nociplastic pain, this refinement process is impaired, leading to “sensory blurring.” Aging exacerbates these changes through neurochemical depletion and neuroinflammation. Crucially, this decline follows sex-specific trajectories; estrogen depletion in post-menopausal females accelerates the loss of monoaminergic inhibitory reserves, while gender-related sociocultural stressors can further disrupt top-down executive control. Additionally, alterations in the gut–brain axis signaling—modulated by sex-specific gut microbiota profiles—further disrupt inhibitory control. Conclusions: Chronic pain may be conceptualized as a disorder of sensory refinement rather than excessive nociceptive input. Inclusion of sex and gender as biological variables is essential for precision pain management. Therapeutic strategies should focus on restoring inhibitory precision through both central and systemic approaches, tailored to the patient’s hormonal and physiological profile. Full article

Strigolactones (SLs) have emerged as important regulators of plant adaptation to abiotic stress, functioning not as isolated hormones but as integrative signaling molecules. Beyond stress responses, SLs regulate key biological processes, including shoot branching, root architecture, leaf senescence, nutrient acquisition, rhizosphere communication, flowering-related development, and growth–developmental plasticity. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how SLs modulate plant responses to drought, salinity, heavy metal toxicity, high temperature, and low temperature through crosstalk with abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, ethylene, and gibberellin. We examine SL structural diversity, biosynthesis, transport, and signaling together with their roles in growth–stress coordination, hormonal networking, and stress-specific mitigation, while distinguishing endogenous SL functions from responses inferred from exogenous analogs such as GR24. Across stresses, SL-mediated resilience converges on adaptive modules, including water regulation, root–shoot architectural remodeling, redox protection, ion and osmotic homeostasis, photosynthetic maintenance, and rhizosphere-assisted resource acquisition. The mechanistic basis involves transcriptional reprogramming, ROS/RNS-linked redox regulation, metabolic protection, and root–microbe interactions. Translational prospects include SL analogs, genetic manipulation, and breeding for adaptive plasticity, nutrient efficiency, and stress tolerance. However, species specificity, dosage dependence, limited field validation, unclear structure–function relationships, and parasitic-weed stimulation remain major constraints. Full article

Background: Cervical osteochondromas invading the vertebral canal are rare but may cause spinal cord compression requiring surgical resection. Conventional open laminectomy may disrupt posterior stabilizing structures and potentially increase the risk of postoperative cervical deformity. This technical note describes a contralateral-structure-preserving endoscopic technique for cervical osteochondroma resection. Methods: A 25-year-old man with multiple hereditary exostosis presented with neck pain, mild numbness, and a positive Lhermitte’s sign. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 9 × 6 × 10 mm osteochondroma originating from the base of the C3 spinous process and extending into the vertebral canal with spinal cord compression and cord signal change. Preoperative clinical assessment included a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for neck pain of 6/10, a modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score of 16/18, a Neck Disability Index (NDI) of 30%, and Nurick grade 1. The lesion was treated using unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery through a partial unilateral laminectomy and sublaminar endoscopic corridor, aiming for en bloc resection while preserving the contralateral lamina, posterior ligamentous complex, and posterior tension band. Continuous intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (SSEP and MEP) was used throughout the procedure. Results: The osteochondroma was completely resected en bloc using a diamond burr and Kerrison rongeur. Histopathological examination confirmed osteochondroma, and negative margins were identified without residual tumor. The patient’s symptoms resolved completely without postoperative complications, and he was discharged on postoperative day 3. At the 18-month clinical and radiological follow-up, the patient remained symptom-free, with VAS improved to 1–2/10, mJOA improved to 18/18, NDI improved to 4%, and Nurick grade improved to 0, with partial regression of the cord signal change and no evidence of tumor recurrence on follow-up imaging. Cervical lordosis was maintained at the immediate postoperative timepoint. Conclusions: Contralateral-structure-preserving endoscopic resection may represent a potential minimally invasive alternative to conventional wide laminectomy or fusion-based approaches in carefully selected cases of benign cervical osteochondroma. Larger comparative studies with long-term follow-up are required to confirm the potential biomechanical and clinical benefits of this approach. Full article

Background: Ibandronate is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate used in osteoporosis; however, its relationship with vertebral-fracture-related outcomes, pain trajectories, and broader inflammatory–skeletal signaling remains incompletely characterized. Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients with osteoporosis categorized according to ibandronate exposure. The primary outcome was new vertebral fracture occurrence, and the secondary outcome was change in pain severity assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Multivariable regression, sensitivity analyses, and exploratory network-pharmacology, transcriptomic, and molecular docking analyses were performed. Results: Forty patients (20 ibandronate, 20 control) were included. Ibandronate use was associated with numerically lower vertebral fracture occurrence, although this did not reach statistical significance in crude or adjusted analyses. Greater pain reduction was observed in unadjusted analyses but was attenuated after multivariable adjustment, and baseline heterogeneity should be considered when interpreting between-group differences. Radiological outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. Exploratory systems-level analyses identified enrichment patterns involving inflammatory signaling, osteoclast differentiation, cytokine-associated pathways, and skeletal regulatory processes; however, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and not as evidence of causal biological mechanisms. Conclusions: In this exploratory, hypothesis-generating study, ibandronate use was associated with trends toward lower vertebral fracture occurrence and greater unadjusted pain improvement, although these findings were attenuated after adjustment. The combined clinical, transcriptomic, and computational observations are compatible with the possibility that inflammatory and skeletal regulatory pathways may intersect within a broader systems-level framework relevant to vertebral-fracture-related outcomes in osteoporosis. However, these findings should not be interpreted as direct mechanistic evidence of ibandronate-specific molecular activity or clinical efficacy. Larger prospective studies integrating clinical, radiological, and mechanistic approaches are required to clarify the biological and clinical relevance of these observations. Full article

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, originally developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, have recently attracted interest as potential modulators of addictive behavior. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge on the neurobiological basis, randomized controlled trials, and psychiatric relevance of GLP-1 analogs in substance use disorders. English-language articles available at the time of the search were reviewed between February and April 2026, with emphasis on topics most relevant to psychiatric practice. The literature suggests that GLP-1 signaling influences reward processing, cue reactivity, stress responses, relapse vulnerability, and executive control through actions in the gut–brain axis and mesocorticolimbic circuitry. Early clinical findings are most encouraging in alcohol-related outcomes, including reductions in alcohol cue reactivity, craving, alcohol self-administration, and some measures of heavy drinking, whereas evidence in nicotine dependence is mixed and appears more consistent for limiting post-cessation weight gain than for improving abstinence itself. Evidence for other substance use disorders remains preliminary. Across randomized controlled trials, interpretation is limited by small sample sizes, short follow-up, heterogeneous endpoints, and selective populations. In addition, psychiatric and behavioral safety requires careful attention, particularly regarding rapid weight loss, excessive appetite suppression, restrictive eating, dehydration, and psychological destabilization in vulnerable individuals. At present, GLP-1 receptor agonists should be regarded as promising but unproven adjunctive candidates in addiction psychiatry, warranting further rigorous trials, structured monitoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Full article

Real-time physiological state awareness is central to next-generation wearable computing, yet most existing electrophysiological signal acquisition platforms remain limited to single-modality sensing, high component cost, or bulky form factors that hinder everyday deployment. Here, we present a compact, low-cost wearable platform for simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and electrocardiography (ECG) acquisition. The system integrates an analog front-end, a microcontroller, and a Bluetooth wireless link on a compact single-board platform (5.6 × 3.8 cm, approximately 12.8 g with the selected lithium-polymer battery installed), with an estimated bill-of-materials cost of 67.40 USD. Experimental validation across three healthy subjects, with the ECG channel additionally benchmarked against a commercial clinical-grade ambulatory ECG recorder, demonstrates that the platform captures ECG waveforms with recognizable P-QRS-T morphology under controlled recording conditions, supports reliable R-peak detection and heart rate estimation, records stable resting-state EEG spectral features, and distinguishes EMG activation from resting baseline in both time-domain amplitude and time-frequency structure. Leveraging the real-time wireless data link between the wearable hardware and a PC-hosted MATLAB environment, we further explore application-oriented signal processing scenarios. As an offline algorithm-pipeline compatibility demonstration, a CNN-based seizure detection pipeline is applied to the Bonn EEG benchmark for five-class epileptic state classification, achieving 86.60% mean classification accuracy. The proposed system offers a scalable and affordable foundation for wearable human-state-aware interaction, with potential applications in clinical monitoring, rehabilitation, and brain–computer interfaces. Full article

This paper proposes a spatial analog of the compass rose, interpreted as a discrete analog of cylindrical coordinates and considered as a basis for direction-based command filtering in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) groups. The initial formulation is the problem of determining the direction to a radio signal source using data obtained by a group of four UAVs located at different altitudes. It is shown that, under conditions where the distance to the signal source significantly exceeds the characteristic size of the UAV spatial configuration, the direction to the source is determined much more reliably than the range to it. The results of Monte Carlo simulations confirm that the angular component of the solution remains meaningful under Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) noise, whereas range reconstruction is substantially less stable. On this basis, a transition from a continuous description to a discrete sector representation of directions is proposed. The spatial compass rose is defined as a partition of the cylinder’s surface into a finite number of elements differing in azimuth and altitude. It is shown that this representation admits a natural algebraization: discrete directions can be one-to-one mapped to elements of finite fields and, therefore, interpreted in terms of multivalued logic. The obtained result creates the basis for simplifying computational procedures related to direction-sector classification and command processing in the on-board systems of UAV groups, provided that the method is interpreted as directional classification rather than complete three-dimensional localization. Full article

The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a 37-amino acid neuropeptide belonging to the calcitonin family, discovered as a product of alternative splicing of the calcitonin gene. CGRP has emerged as a pleiotropic signaling molecule with widespread distribution in the central and peripheral nervous systems, particularly within primary sensory neurons. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on the CGRP system, integrating recent advances in its molecular structure, gene organization, and post-translational processing with high-resolution structural insights into its heterodimeric receptor complex (CLR-RAMP1) obtained through cryo-electron microscopy. We also include long-term safety data on anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies, emerging cardiovascular risk signals, and novel therapeutic applications in vestibular migraine and pediatric populations. The intracellular signaling cascades activated by CGRP, including the canonical cAMP-PKA pathway, MAP kinase activation, and context-dependent calcium signaling, are discussed in relation to its diverse physiological functions. These encompass vasodilation, nociception modulation, neurogenic inflammation, gastrointestinal motility, bone metabolism, tissue regeneration, and energy homeostasis. The central role of CGRP in migraine pathophysiology is examined to understand the development of targeted therapies. The current pharmacological landscape is reviewed, including the evolution of small-molecule CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants) through three generations and the four approved monoclonal antibodies targeting CGRP or its receptor, with comparative analysis of their efficacy, safety profiles, and clinical positioning. Beyond migraine, emerging and predominantly preclinical roles of the CGRP system are discussed in chronic pain, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, sepsis, cancer (particularly bone metastases and tumor microenvironment immunomodulation), and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. In these areas, the available evidence remains heterogeneous and, in most cases, is not yet sufficient to support clinical translation. Finally, future directions are discussed, including the development of stable CGRP analogs, allosteric modulators, and the potential expansion of therapeutic applications into oncology, intensive care medicine, and neuroprotection. Full article

Background: Robust perception involves processing heterogeneous sensory signals, such as facial expressions, vocal prosody, and language, particularly in noisy environments. In computational modeling, a key challenge is integrating these diverse inputs while actively filtering uninformative variations. While recent deep learning models address this integration through complex fusion architectures, they typically aggregate features without explicit filtering modules analogous to inhibitory control. In this study, we propose Multi-modal Information Disentanglement (MInD), a computational framework designed to test the hypothesis that algorithmic noise isolation facilitates robust multisensory integration. Methods: Drawing conceptual inspiration from cognitive theories of modularity, our model decomposes sensory inputs into amodal (modality-invariant) and modal-specific pathways. Furthermore, we introduce an adversarial noise isolation mechanism to serve as an algorithmic analog to cognitive inhibition. Given that our model operates on pre-extracted high-level features, this mechanism functions to isolate latent distributional variance—uninformative fluctuations that persist after initial feature extraction—guiding the network to separate task-relevant affective cues from irrelevant feature variance. Results: Empirical evaluations on standard emotion recognition benchmarks indicate that this purification-before-fusion strategy is associated with competitive performance and stability across multiple metrics. Notably, the framework attains these results using simple linear integration layers, suggesting that separating representations prior to fusion may reduce the computational complexity required for subsequent integration. Conclusions: These observations highlight the computational utility of algorithmic noise suppression, illustrating how cognitive inspiration can inform efficient machine learning architectures without claiming direct neurobiological validation. Full article

This article describes a portable Arduino-based prototype for the recording and analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals associated with anxiety situations. The system’s main aim is to enable the user to self-detect stress and take self-regulating/relaxing actions in real time before stress escalates. The recorded EEG signals are first processed in the analog domain (including amplification and noise reduction) and then, by using an Arduino Uno board, they are converted into digital format and transmitted through either a wired or wireless connection to a computer to be depicted in both the time and the frequency domains by means of an open-source software. During the performed tests, the system successfully showed visible changes in the alpha and beta brain signals corresponding to the states of resting, induced stress, and the subsequent self-regulation/relaxation process. The proposed prototype (though non-clinical in its present form) has the merits of relatively low cost, easy self-use (outside clinical environments), and real-time EEG signal depiction, and, apart from enabling the user to self-detect and self-monitor stress, it can also be used for educational and/or research purposes. Full article