Search Results (571)

Pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and mianserin occur in aquatic environments at low yet persistent concentrations due to their incomplete removal in wastewater treatment plants. Although frequently detected, these neuroactive compounds remain underrepresented in ecotoxicological assessments. Given their pharmacodynamic potency, environmentally relevant concentrations may induce sublethal effects in non-target organisms. In this study, we applied untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics to investigate the sublethal effects of four widely used antidepressants—paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine (SSRIs), and mianserin (TeCA)—on two ecologically relevant freshwater invertebrates: S. ambiguum and D. magna. Organisms were individually exposed to each compound for 48 h at a concentration of 100 µg/L and 25 µg/L, respectively. Untargeted metabolomics captured the sublethal biochemical effects of these antidepressants, revealing both shared disruptions—e.g., in glycerophospholipid metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism—and species-specific responses. More pronounced pathway changes observed in D. magna suggest interspecies differences in metabolic capacity or xenobiotic processing mechanisms between taxa. Among the four antidepressants tested, sertraline in D. magna and fluoxetine in S. ambiguum exerted the most extensive metabolomic perturbations, as evidenced by the highest number and pathway impact scores. In D. magna, fluoxetine and mianserin produced similar metabolic profiles, largely overlapping with those of sertraline, whereas paroxetine affected only a single pathway, indicating minimal impact. In S. ambiguum, paroxetine and mianserin elicited comparable responses, also overlapping with those of fluoxetine, while sertraline triggered the fewest changes. These results suggest both compound-specific effects and a conserved metabolic response pattern among the antidepressants used. They also underscore the considerable potential of metabolomics as a powerful and sensitive tool for ecotoxicological risk assessments, particularly when applied across multiple model organisms to capture interspecies variations. However, further research is essential to identify which specific pathway disruptions are most predictive of adverse effects on organismal health. Full article

CO₂ displacement is a key technique that was examined through numerical methods in a 3D Hele–Shaw cell, with CO₂ as the displacing phase and shear-thinning fluids as the displaced phase. Without interfacial tension effects, the displacement shows branching patterns forming two vertically symmetric fingers, regardless of whether the displacing fluid is air or CO₂. Under CO₂ displacement, viscous fingering propagates farther and achieves higher displacement efficiency than air. Compared with air displacement, the finger advancing distance increases by 0.0035 m, and the displacement efficiency is 15.2% higher than that of air displacement. Shear-thinning behavior significantly influences the process; stronger shear thinning enhances interfacial stability and suppresses fingering. As the power-law index n increases (reducing shear thinning), the fingering length extends. Variations in interfacial tension reveal it notably affects fingering initiation and velocity in CO₂ displacement of non-Newtonian fluids, but has a weaker impact on fingering formation. Interfacial tension suppresses short-wavelength perturbations, critical to interface stability, jet breakup, and flows, informing applications like foam-assisted oil recovery and microfluidics. Full article

The electroosmotic flow (EOF) of non-Newtonian fluids plays a significant role in microfluidic systems. The EOF of Powell–Eyring fluid within a parallel-plate microchannel, under the influence of both electric field and pressure gradient, is investigated. Navier’s boundary condition is adopted. The velocity distribution’s approximate solution is derived via the homotopy perturbation technique (HPM). Optimized initial guesses enable accurate second-order approximations, dramatically lowering computational complexity. The numerical solution is acquired via the modified spectral local linearization method (SLLM), exhibiting both high accuracy and computational efficiency. Visualizations reveal how the pressure gradient/electric field, the electric double layer (EDL) width, and slip length affect velocity. The ratio of pressure gradient to electric field exhibits a nonlinear modulating effect on the velocity. The EDL is a nanoscale charge layer at solid–liquid interfaces. A thinner EDL thickness diminishes the slip flow phenomenon. The shear-thinning characteristics of the Powell–Eyring fluid are particularly pronounced in the central region under high pressure gradients and in the boundary layer region when wall slip is present. These findings establish a theoretical base for the development of microfluidic devices and the improvement of pharmaceutical carrier strategies. Full article

Stealthy chip-level tamper attacks, such as hardware Trojan insertions or security-critical circuit modifications, can threaten modern microelectronic systems’ security. While traditional inspection and side-channel methods offer potential for tamper detection, they may not reliably detect all forms of attacks and often face practical limitations in terms of scalability, accuracy, or applicability. This work introduces a non-invasive, contactless tamper detection method employing a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR). CSRRs, which are typically deployed for non-destructive material characterization, can be placed on the surface of the chip’s package to detect subtle variations in the impedance of the chip’s power delivery network (PDN) caused by tampering. The changes in the PDN’s impedance profile perturb the local electric near field and consequently affect the sensor’s impedance. These changes manifest as measurable variations in the sensor’s scattering parameters. By monitoring these variations, our approach enables robust and cost-effective physical integrity verification requiring neither physical contact with the chips or printed circuit board (PCB) nor activation of the underlying malicious circuits. To validate our claims, we demonstrate the detection of various chip-level tamper events on an FPGA manufactured with 28 nm technology. Full article

The continual production of long wavelength gravitons during primordial inflation endows graviton loop corrections with secular growth factors. During a prolonged period of inflation, these factors eventually overwhelm the small loop-counting parameter of $G{H}^2$, causing perturbation theory to break down. A technique was recently developed for summing the leading secular effects at each order in non-linear sigma models, which possess the same kind of derivative interactions as gravity. This technique combines a variant of Starobinsky’s stochastic formalism with a variant of the renormalization group. Generalizing the technique to quantum gravity is a two-step process, the first of which is the determination of the gauge fixing condition that will allow this summation to be realized; this is the subject of this paper. Moreover, we briefly discuss the second step, which shall obtain the Langevin equation, in which secular changes in gravitational phenomena are driven by stochastic fluctuations of the graviton field. Full article

Caprine arthritis and encephalitis (CAE), caused by small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV), is a key disease of goats, with chronic inflammation of joints and brain symptoms leading to losses in milk production and animal trade. In this study, we analyzed gene expressions in the milk somatic cells (MSCs) of seropositive (SRLV-SP) and seronegative (SRLV-SN) goats to identify transcriptomic changes using a non-invasive sampling method. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on goats of two Polish breeds (Polish Improved White and Polish Improved Fawn), which were kept at the Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, during their first lactation. MSCs were isolated from milk, and gene expression was analyzed using the Goat Gene Expression Microarray. The results were verified by RT-qPCR for five genes (DUSP26, PRLR, SCARA3, APBB2, OR4F4). Statistical analysis was performed in GeneSpring 12 software. Results: Microarrays showed reduced expression of DUSP26, PRLR, SCARA3, APBB2, and OR4F4 genes in SRLV-SP goats. RT-qPCR confirmed changes for DUSP26, SCARA3, and APBB2. Functional analysis indicated associations with immune processes and HIV-like pathways. Discussion: The results suggest that SRLV induces transcriptomic perturbations, especially in immunity-related genes. MSCs are an effective model for non-invasive studies, and further studies may support strategies for combating CAE. Full article

Accurately monitoring coupled water–nitrogen stress is critical for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity under climate change. This study developed a machine learning framework utilizing multimodal leaf electrophysiological signals––intrinsic resistance, impedance, capacitive reactance, inductive reactance, and capacitance––to decouple water and nitrogen stress signatures in wheat. A parallel modelling strategy was implemented employing Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, and Ridge Regression, selecting the optimal algorithm per feature based on predictive performance. Controlled pot experiments revealed IZ as the paramount biomarker across leaf positions, indicating its sensitivity to ion flux perturbations under abiotic stress. Crucially, algorithm-feature specificity was identified: Ridge Regression excelled in modeling linear responses due to its superior noise suppression, while GB effectively captured nonlinear dynamics. Flag leaves during reproductive stages provided significantly more stable predictions compared to vegetative third leaves, aligning with their physiological primacy as source organs. This framework offers a robust, non-invasive approach for real-time water and nitrogen stress diagnostics in precision agriculture. Full article

The envelope stress response in Escherichia coli is primarily governed by the sigma factor RpoE (σ^E), which activates protective genes upon membrane perturbation. Under non-stress conditions, σ^E is sequestered by its anti-sigma factor RseA. In this study, we identify an unexpected role for the nitric-oxide-sensing repressor NsrR in dampening σ^E activity and repressing σ^E-dependent small RNAs, including rybB, micA, and micL. Overexpression of nsrR represses transcription from σ^E-dependent promoters and phenocopies σ^E inactivation, resulting in filamentous morphology and growth defects. Conversely, ΔnsrR de-represses σ^E targets, with additive effects in rseA mutants—supporting an RseA-independent regulatory role. Time-course analysis shows NsrR represses σ^E activity, with kinetics comparable to those of RseA. While in vitro assays failed to detect robust NsrR binding to σ^E target promoters, NsrR directly interacts with σ^E in bacterial two-hybrid assays. Structural modeling using AlphaFold3 supports a plausible NsrR–RpoE interaction interface. These findings suggest that NsrR functions as a noncanonical anti-sigma-like modulator of σ^E, integrating redox and envelope stress signals to maintain membrane homeostasis. Full article

This paper presents a non-fragile observer-based dissipative control strategy for the suspension systems of electric vehicles equipped with in-wheel motors, accounting for input delays, actuator faults, and observer gain uncertainty. Traditional control approaches—such as $H_{\infty }$, passive control, and robust feedback schemes, often address these challenges in isolation and with increased conservatism. In contrast, this work introduces a unified framework that integrates fault-tolerant control, delay compensation, and robust state estimation within a dissipativity-based setting. A novel dissipativity analysis tailored to Electric Vehicle Active Suspension Systems (EV-ASSs) is developed, with nonzero delay bounds explicitly incorporated into the stability conditions. The observer is designed to ensure accurate state estimation under gain perturbations, enabling robust full-state feedback control. Stability and performance criteria are formulated via Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) using advanced integral inequalities to reduce conservatism. Numerical simulations validate the proposed method, demonstrating effective fault-tolerant performance, disturbance rejection, and precise state reconstruction, thereby extending beyond the capabilities of traditional control frameworks. Full article

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with inflammatory and neoplastic changes in the esophageal epithelium. Despite widespread PPI use, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) incidence continues to rise, implicating non-acidic reflux components such as pepsin in disease progression. We performed transcriptomic profiling to assess pepsin-induced changes and the protective effect of amprenavir in vitro. Het-1A (normal) and BAR-T (Barrett’s) cells (n = 3) were treated at pH 7.0 with pepsin and/or 10 μM amprenavir for 1 h. RNA-seq identified DEGs (FDR ≤ 0.05, |log₂FC| ≥ 0.375), and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed enriched pathways. Pepsin exposure altered mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation, epithelial integrity, signaling, and inflammatory pathways in both cell lines. Amprenavir attenuated these transcriptomic perturbations, preserving mitochondrial and stress-response pathways. Notably, BAR-T cells exhibited heightened activation of wound-healing and epithelial repair pathways, whereas Het-1A cells showed greater mitochondrial and systemic stress pathway alterations. Pepsin drives transcriptomic dysregulation in esophageal epithelial cells under non-acidic conditions, and amprenavir shows potential to counteract peptic injury. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore amprenavir’s therapeutic utility in GERD management and EAC prevention. Full article

Constraining neutrino mass through cosmological observations relies on precise simulations to calibrate their effects on large scale structure, while these simulations must overcome computational challenges like dealing with large velocity dispersions and small intrinsic neutrino perturbations. We present an efficient N-body implementation with semi-linear neutrino mass response which gives accurate power spectra and halo statistics. We explore the necessity of correcting the expansion history caused by massive neutrinos and the transition between relativistic and non-relativistic components. The above method of including neutrino masses is built into the memory-, scalability-, and precision-optimized parallel N-body simulation code CUBE 2.0. Through a suite of neutrino simulations, we precisely quantify the neutrino mass effects on the nonlinear matter power spectra and halo statistics. Full article

This work examines the fractional Sawada–Kotera and Korteweg–de Vries (KdV)–Burgers equations, which are essential models of nonlinear wave phenomena in many scientific domains. The homotopy perturbation transform method (HPTM) and the Yang transform decomposition method (YTDM) are two sophisticated techniques employed to derive analytical solutions. The proposed methods are novel and remarkable hybrid integral transform schemes that effectively incorporate the Adomian decomposition method, homotopy perturbation method, and Yang transform method. They efficiently yield rapidly convergent series-type solutions through an iterative process that requires fewer computations. The Caputo operator, used to express the fractional derivatives in the equations, provides a robust framework for analyzing the behavior of non-integer-order systems. To validate the accuracy and reliability of the obtained solutions, numerical simulations and graphical representations are presented. Furthermore, the results are compared with exact solutions using various tables and graphs, illustrating the effectiveness and ease of implementation of the proposed approaches for various fractional partial differential equations. The influence of the non-integer parameter on the solutions behavior is specifically examined, highlighting its function in regulating wave propagation and diffusion. In addition, a comparison with the natural transform iterative method and optimal auxiliary function method demonstrates that the proposed methods are more accurate than these alternative approaches. The results highlight the potential of YTDM and HPTM as reliable tools for solving nonlinear fractional differential equations and affirm their relevance in wave mechanics, fluid dynamics, and other fields where fractional-order models are applied. Full article

Background/Objectives: Non-invasive spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation (scTS) has expanded the therapeutic landscape of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, offering potential benefits beyond compensatory approaches to paralysis. Children with SCI are particularly susceptible to developing neuromuscular scoliosis due to trunk muscle paralysis and ongoing skeletal growth, making targeted interventions crucial. As demonstrated in adults and pediatrics with SCI, the ability of scTS to acutely and safely enable an upright posture and trunk control could be leveraged as a therapeutic adjunct. Activity-based locomotor training (AB-LT) alone significantly improves trunk control in children with SCIs; combining it with scTS may enhance outcomes. This pilot study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and cumulative effects of AB-LT combined with scTS on trunk control in children with SCI. Methods: Three children with SCI completed 19 to 64 sessions of combined AB-LT and scTS. Adverse effects were monitored session to session, and trunk control was assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results: Across 130 interventions in three participants, 88.5% of sessions were free from adverse effects. Reported adverse events included autonomic dysreflexia (5.4%), skin redness at electrode sites (4.6%), and headaches (1.5%). No significant impact of scTS on fatigue or central hemodynamic parameters was observed. Post-intervention, all participants demonstrated improved trunk control during quiet and perturbed sitting. Conclusions: These findings provide the first evidence supporting the safety and feasibility of this combinatorial approach in pediatric SCI rehabilitation while emphasizing the importance of monitoring skin integrity and signs of autonomic dysreflexia. This intervention shows potential synergistic benefits, warranting further research to confirm efficacy and optimize therapeutic protocols. Full article

Conventional integer-order models fail to adequately capture non-local memory effects and constrained nonlinear interactions in emotional dynamics. To address these limitations, we propose a coupled framework that integrates Caputo fractional derivatives with hyperbolic tangent–based interaction functions. The fractional-order term quantifies power-law memory decay in affective states, while the nonlinear component regulates connection strength through emotional difference thresholds. Mathematical analysis establishes the existence and uniqueness of solutions with continuous dependence on initial conditions and proves the local asymptotic stability of network equilibria ($W_{ij}^{*}={\displaystyle \frac{1}{\delta }}{\sec \mathrm{h}}^2(\parallel {\mathrm{E}}_i-{\mathrm{E}}_j\parallel )$, e.g., $W^{*}\approx 1.40$ under typical parameters $\eta =0.5$, $\delta =0.3$). We further derive closed-form expressions for the steady-state variance under stochastic perturbations ($\mathrm{Var}\left(W_{ij}\right)={\displaystyle \frac{{\sigma }_{\zeta }^2}{2\eta \delta }}$) and demonstrate a less than 6% deviation between simulated and theoretical values when ${\sigma }_{\zeta }=0.1$. Numerical experiments using the Euler–Maruyama method validate the convergence of connection weights toward the predicted equilibrium, reveal Gaussian features in the stationary distributions, and confirm power-law scaling between noise intensity and variance. The numerical accuracy of the fractional system is further verified through L1 discretization, with observed error convergence consistent with theoretical expectations for $\mu =0.5$. This framework advances the mechanistic understanding of co-evolutionary dynamics in emotion-modulated social networks, supporting applications in clinical intervention design, collective sentiment modeling, and psychophysiological coupling research. Full article

This study addresses the coupled influence of the threshold pressure gradient and stress sensitivity during the seepage process in low-permeability reservoirs. By integrating Laplace transform, perturbation transform, the image principle, and the superposition principle, a non-steady-state seepage model for segmented-fractured horizontal wells considering both effects is established for the first time. The analytical solution of the point source function including the threshold pressure gradient ($\lambda$) and stress sensitivity effect (permeability modulus $\alpha$) is innovatively derived and extended to closed-boundary reservoirs. The model accuracy is verified by CMG numerical simulation (with an error of only 1.02%). Based on this, the seepage process is divided into four stages: I linear flow (pressure derivative slope of 0.5), II fracture radial flow (slope of 0), III dual radial flow (slope of 0.36), and IV pseudo-radial flow (slope of 0). Sensitivity analysis indicates the following: (1) The threshold pressure gradient significantly increases the seepage resistance in the late stage (the pressure curve shows a significant upward curvature when $\lambda$ = 0.1 MPa/m); (2) Stress sensitivity dominates the energy dissipation in the middle and late stages (a closed-boundary-like feature is presented when $\alpha$ > 0.1 MPa⁻¹); (3) The half-length of fractures dominates the early flow (a 100 m fracture reduces the pressure drop by 40% compared to a 20 m fracture). This model resolves the accuracy deficiency of traditional single-effect models and provides theoretical support for the development effect evaluation and well test interpretation of fractured horizontal wells in low-permeability reservoirs. Full article