Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling is a widely used model for inducing epileptogenesis and evaluating long-term seizure susceptibility differences among animals. This model is typically performed by chronic, repetitive exposures to a constant subconvulsive PTZ dose. However, the effectiveness of the commonly used dose (35 mg/kg) varies among different animal groups due to factors such as species, age, sex, and genetic background. This study characterizes a novel kindling approach, the PTZ Dose Escalation (PTZ-DE) model, which assesses chronic seizure threshold with enhanced sensitivity by empirically determining the minimally effective dose to induce PTZ kindling for specific experimental conditions. The efficacy and validity of the PTZ-DE model were compared to the standard PTZ kindling approach. First, the characteristic increase in chronic seizure response was compared between PTZ-DE and the standard model across animal characteristics (strain, sex). Next, the PTZ-DE model's validity was assessed by determining whether PTZ-DE could replicate the increased chronic seizure susceptibility previously reported using the standard approach after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Lastly, the PTZ-DE model's effectiveness in detecting seizure differences was measured in a condition (glyburide treatment) where alterations to chronic seizure susceptibility were not detected with standard kindling. This study observed that, compared to the standard model, the PTZ-DE model corrects for background differences in PTZ susceptibility, replicates known alterations in chronic seizure thresholds, and uncovers changes in seizure threshold previously unidentified by the standard approach. The PTZ-DE model may be a superior approach for discovering new pathological mechanisms of epileptogenesis and for developing targeted therapies for seizure management.

Metabolism and respiration in skin burn injury in rats: Corrective effects of melatonin.

Available treatments for ischemic stroke have severe limitations and innovation is hampered by a major bench-to-bedside translational block, demanding refinement of animal models. Intraluminal filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in rodents is a standard stroke model, requiring atraumatic and effective occluding filaments to fit each animal. We describe a simple and low-cost method to manufacture silicone-coated arterial occluder filaments, with accessible materials. This technique yields cylindrical silicone coatings of predictable and reproducible length and diameter, which can be adapted for different species, sizes of animals and blood vessels. 200 filaments produced with a 6-0 mononylon suture and mold-coated silicone tips were analyzed. Using PE-10 polyethylene tubing stretched to various inner diameters as molds, the silicone tips were nearly cylindrical, with average diameters ranging from 0.22 to 0.28 mm. The diameters measured along each silicone tip had a coefficient of variation of only 4.0 %. Laser Doppler showed stable blood flow reduction in the MCA territory of Swiss mice, with only 2.4 % change of flow during a 30 min occlusion. Motor deficits and corticostriatal infarcts were as expected for similar MCA stroke models. Unlike others, our molding procedure yielded filaments with a continuous range of diameters, which could be made to fit each mouse's arteries and adjusted for other species. Having an assortment of custom filaments may improve the success rate and reproducibility of transient MCA occlusion, aiding in the discovery of new potential treatments for stroke.

This is the "seventh" (seminal breakthrough) "G-D's Physics New Twenty-First Century's" 2025 "Annus-Marabilis" article (e.g., which may be "equivalent" to Einstein's 1905 "Annus-Mirabilis" five articles that forever altered Twentieth Century's Theoretical Physics)! It empirically validated two (unique) "Critical Predictions" of "G-D's Physics" New Physics Paradigm as more valid than the Old "MaterialCausal Random" (MCR) Paradigm of GRT & QM, thereby "crowning" "G-D's Physics" as the New (valid) Twenty-First Century's Physics Paradigm! "G-D's Physics" New Physics Paradigm is also shown to possess "Robust Theoretical Validity" & "Broader Empirical & Theoretical Horizons" than the Old MCR Paradigm, including: A. Resolution of the "Gravitational Enigma" & satisfactory explanation of the "Hubble's Tension". B. Discovery of the "UNCIARE-JRH's MAI's Increased Four Physical Values' UCF" – shown to negate GRT's "Energy-Mass Equivalence"! Most significantly, "G-D's Physics" New Physics "A-Causal Computation" (ACC) Paradigm is shown to negates the Old MCR's basic GRT "Big-Bang" Model & QM's "Standard Model"! Instead, "G-D's Physics" New ACC Paradigm portrays a "new universe" that is being continuously "computed"- "dissolved"- "re-computed" and "developed" (at an "astonishing rate" of "c2 /h" = 1.36-50 sec'!) by a singular higher-ordered "Universal Computational/Consciousness Principle" (UCP) towards an "Ultimate Perfected Geulah Goal" State in which Humanity will recognize the singular reality of this UCP, & will be characterized by "All-Goodness", "Morality", "Peace" & "Harmony"!

We performed a mechanical analysis of the commonly used needles for ultrasound-guided interventions in the musculoskeletal system. Specifically, focusing on the ability to absorb potential physical loads and the degree of deformation during the procedure, the needle gauge best suited for those procedures is evaluated. A customized tensile-compression device was used for an experimental buckling strength test on three commonly used needle types with specific gauge sizes. The loss of structural integrity, loss of needle stability, and buckling load were modeled also theoretically using finite element analysis software. Theoretical software needle buckling analysis detected the load for the first buckling mode of the needle, when the highest value was reached for the G20 needle with the load 18.8 N. The load for G21 needle was 9.7 N and for G23 8 N. Experimental data with customized tensile-compression device aligned theoretical data when the highest value was reached for the G20 needle with the load 19.7±1.9 N. The load for G21 needle was 10.6+/-2.7 N and for G23 7.9+/-0.7 N. Theoretical and practical experiments have shown that the standard G20 needle model exhibits the highest mechanical tolerance for potential interventions in the musculoskeletal system. Key words Interventional ultrasound " Needle " Buckling strength.

ABSTRACT The mental health of Indonesian adolescents (aged 15–24) has reached a critical prevalence of 21% in Bandung, a creative city without a dedicated art therapy center, while Jakarta serves as a benchmark for a conventional art therapy center without interactive technology. This study applies Evidence-Based Design (EBD) to propose one of the first conceptual zoning frameworks in Asia integrating behavioral, environmental, and technological aspects. Data synthesis results from triangulated validation of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) (n = 40+ studies), field observations in Bandung and Jakarta, precedent analysis, and interviews with 4 experts and 3 patients informed the main finding “The Adaptive Healing Space Framework”. This interior architecture concept divides space into three gradual zones (Neutral → Hybrid → Immersive) with recommendations for AAL (Ambient Assisted Living) biofeedback and embedded VR/AR technology, filling gaps in biofeedback-spatial actuation for digital-native adolescents (Gen Z/Alpha). This design concept has potential to become a new standard model for modern mental health facilities in Asia. It requires development into scalable designs, interactive technologies for mental well-being, and further effectiveness assessment. As preliminary exploratory research based on a small qualitative sample (n = 7), this conceptual framework requires quantitative validation through post-occupancy evaluation after implementation.

Abstract A model-agnostic search for Beyond the Standard Model physics is presented, targeting final states with at least four light leptons (electrons or muons). The search regions are separated by event topology and unsupervised machine learning is used to identify anomalous events in the full 140 fb $$^{-1}$$ - 1 of proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2. No significant excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Model-agnostic limits are presented in each topology, along with limits on several benchmark models including vector-like leptons, wino-like charginos and neutralinos, or smuons. Limits are set on the flavourful vector-like lepton model for the first time.

Ferrets are the gold standard animal model used to assess the transmissibility of influenza viruses. Airborne transmission is evaluated by infecting donor ferrets with a high virus dose and monitoring transmission to contact animals sharing the same airspace. However, the relationship between inoculation dose and transmission has not been evaluated in ferrets. Therefore, we performed studies evaluating airborne transmission of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 and 1968 pandemic H3N2 viruses over log scale reductions in donor inoculation doses. Using the results of these studies, we define a new measure of transmission, the transmissible dose 50%: the donor inoculation dose at which a virus is transmitted to 50% of contacts. Importantly, this metric permits the evaluation of transmissibility over a log scale. We demonstrate that the 1968 pandemic H3N2 virus has reduced transmissibility compared to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus in ferrets.

Three-dimensional computed tomography mapping and morphological study of distal radius fracture (OTA/AO types 23B and 23C).

A massive vector field is a highly promising candidate for dark matter in the Universe. A salient property of dark matter is its negligible or null coupling to ordinary matter, with the exception of gravitational interaction. This poses a significant challenge in producing the requisite amount of dark particles through processes within the Standard Model. In this study, we examine the production of a vector field during inflation due to its direct interaction with the inflaton field through kinetic and axionlike couplings as well as the field-dependent mass. The gradient-expansion formalism, previously proposed for massless Abelian gauge fields, is extended to include the longitudinal polarization of a massive vector field. We derive a coupled system of equations of motion for a set of bilinear functions of the vector field. This enables us to address the nonlinear dynamics of inflationary vector field production, including backreaction on background evolution. To illustrate this point, we apply our general formalism to a low-mass vector field whose kinetic and mass terms are coupled to the inflaton via the Ratra-type exponential function. The present study investigates the production of its transverse and longitudinal polarization components in a benchmark inflationary model with a quadratic inflaton potential. It has been demonstrated that pure mass coupling is able to enhance only the longitudinal components. By turning on also the kinetic coupling, one can get different scenarios. As the coupling function decreases, the primary contribution to the energy density is derived from the transverse polarizations of the vector field. Conversely, for an increasing coupling function, the longitudinal component becomes increasingly significant and rapidly propels the system into the strong backreaction regime.

Understanding the source of the universe’s asymmetry between matter and antimatter is one of the major open questions in particle physics. In this work, the sensitivity of novel machine-learning-based inference techniques to C P -odd and C P -even H W W anomalous couplings is studied in the W H → ℓ ν b b ¯ channel ( ℓ = e , μ ), within the standard model effective field theory framework. Two machine-learning simulation-based inference (SBI) methods are explored: a per-event likelihood-ratio estimator, which directly approximates the ratio of probability densities between competing hypotheses, is benchmarked against a per-event optimal-observable estimator optimized for sensitivity to the parameters of interest. Both approaches are also compared to traditional summary statistics, in this case histograms of kinematic and angular observables, as commonly used in experimental analyses. SBI methods provide tighter constraints than one-dimensional summary statistics, though their performance is comparable to two-dimensional histogram analysis. The optimal-observable approach remains promising for its ability to probe multiple couplings simultaneously. Restricting the analysis to a region of high S / B also enhances sensitivity to C P -odd operators while preserving sensitivity to C P -even operators, which histogram analyses often lose. Although the likelihood-ratio estimator sometimes struggles with likelihood minima and shapes, optimizations that target its robustness could make it more sensitive than both the optimal-observable estimator and the histogram method. These results underscore the potential of advanced simulation-based inference techniques, encouraging further exploration with LHC Run 3 data to surpass current ATLAS and CMS sensitivities.

Abstract The scalar-tensor representation of f(R,T) gravity is extended to incorporate the Herglotz variational principle. The field equations are derived in both the geometric and scalar-tensor frameworks. Although the divergence of the energy-momentum tensor in matter-geometry coupling theories is generally nonvanishing, conservation can be achieved through the introduction of the Herglotz vector. The generalized Friedmann equations in scalar-tensor Herglotz f(R,T) theory are obtained, and a conservative cosmological model is shown to be consistent with late-time observational data. Comparisons with analogous nonconservative models and with the standard ΛCDM model are also provided.

A bstract Axion models generically suffer from a severe quality problem when coupled to gravity. In this article we provide a very simple model with a high quality axion. The axion is a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of the baryon number symmetry, U(1) B , of a new composite sector that breaks U(1) B spontaneously when it confines. A controlled example is a supersymmetric QCD (SQCD) with N c = N f . The axion shift symmetry is automatically protected due to the high dimension of the gauge-invariant baryon operator, with the Peccei-Quinn breaking operators arising at dimension N c + 2. The standard model gauge group is embedded as a subgroup of the flavor symmetry group of SQCD that has an anomaly with U(1) B , generating the standard coupling with gluons.

We investigate the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) induced by a first-order electroweak phase transition in a realistic renormalizable framework, the complex singlet extension of the Standard Model. We perform a quantitative analysis of the PBH abundance and identify parameter regions consistent with current microlensing constraints. Furthermore, we show that the same parameter space predicts observable stochastic gravitational waves within the sensitivities of future space-based detectors, as well as a sizable deviation in the Higgs triple coupling that can be probed at future lepton colliders. Our results highlight a comprehensive multimessenger framework in which PBHs, gravitational waves, and collider observations can jointly test the dynamics of a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition in the early Universe.

In earthquake-prone regions, buildings are often damaged during seismic events but may still remain in use, owing to the high cost of replacement. The development of seismic capability assessment methods, therefore, becomes crucial. Taiwan’s National Centre for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) has developed a seismic assessment methodology, consisting of preliminary and detailed evaluations. The preliminary evaluation includes adjustable parameters to account for buildings with unique conditions, such as special shapes. Soft-story buildings are important examples. Failing to incorporate adjustment parameters for soft-story buildings could lead to an overestimation of their seismic capability. In this paper, a building information modelling (BIM)–based approach is demonstrated to automate the process of making preliminary evaluations of seismic capability. BIM can efficiently extract the required data and integrate eccentricity and rigidity ratio adjustments. The simplified model is also compared with the standard model to verify the validity of using elastic stiffness as a substitute for secant stiffness. The results show that, after adjustments, the preliminary evaluation closely aligns with the detailed evaluation, preventing overestimation of seismic capability. Furthermore, BIM also enhances automation, improves flexibility, and supports efficient information management.

Vector leptoquarks (vLQs) are popular candidates for searching for physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In this paper, we present updated exclusion limits on various vLQ species, accounting for all the relevant production mechanisms at the LHC. In particular, we highlight the critical role of indirect production and its interference with the SM Drell-Yan process. This interference can be constructive or destructive, depending on the specific quantum numbers of the vLQ, and significantly impacts the sensitivity of current searches. Furthermore, we demonstrate that including QCD + QED mixed pair production channels leads to a noticeable shift in model-independent mass limits. Additionally, we examine the validity of the full theory with vLQs and corresponding effective operators in the high mass regime. Overall, our analysis yields a substantial improvement in the exclusion limits on vLQs compared to the existing results in the literature.

Effective field theories are the primary tool for interpreting precision collider data in the absence of new resonances. However, in the dimension-8 Standard Model effective field theory, the utility of traditional algebraically minimal bases is fundamentally limited by kinematic mixing: multiple operators contribute to a single high-energy amplitude, creating degeneracies that obscure ultraviolet interpretations and complicate the application of theoretical constraints. We introduce a generative framework that resolves this by constructing operators directly from the conserved Noether currents of the Standard Model. The resulting kinematically diagonalized current basis (KDCB) ensures that each operator maps to a unique asymptotic energy scaling ( E 4 , E 2 , E 0 ) in scattering amplitudes. This organization makes S-matrix positivity bounds manifest, enables a stable auxiliary-field formulation for Monte Carlo simulation, and provides direct diagnostics for universal versus nonuniversal ultraviolet completions through current decomposition. By rotating the operator space into physically interpretable sectors, the KDCB offers a transformative framework for global fits and a clear pathway from high-energy data to the structure of new physics.

We introduce a new mechanism for the simultaneous generation of baryon and dark matter asymmetries through ultraviolet-dominated freeze-in scatterings. The mechanism relies on heavy Majorana neutrinos that connect the visible Standard Model sector to a dark sector through the neutrino portal. Following reheating of the visible sector to a temperature well below the heavy neutrino masses, we show that 2-to-2 scattering processes can populate the dark sector and generate both baryon and dark matter asymmetries. In some parameter regions, the dominant source of baryon asymmetry can be charge transfer from the dark sector, a process we call dark wash-in. We also demonstrate that annihilation of the dark matter to massless states within the dark sector can deplete the symmetric population without destroying the net baryon charge to leave only an asymmetric dark matter abundance today. Depending on the specific model parameters, the observed baryon and dark matter abundances can be attained with heavy neutrino masses M N ≳ 10 10 GeV and dark matter masses in the range 0.1 GeV ≲ m χ ≲ 10 3 GeV if the dark matter relic abundance is mainly asymmetric and even lower masses if it is symmetric.

As a primary reaction medium, water profoundly influences the kinetics and mechanisms of chemical processes. External physical treatments, such as vibration, can alter the physicochemical properties of water, thereby modifying reaction outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of vibrational iterations (I0–I7) prepared using the “crossing” technology on the kinetics of the oxidation–reduction reaction between methylene blue and ascorbic acid, a standard model for evaluating external influences. Initial characterization revealed that while pH remained stable across all samples, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen levels deviated significantly from the control (intact water), with oxygen concentrations measuring either higher or lower than the control. Following the dissolution of methylene blue in these iterations, absorption spectroscopy was used to monitor decolorization kinetics. Different vibrational iterations influenced distinct kinetic parameters, including the rate constant, half-reaction time, and average reaction rate. Depending on the number of processing steps used to prepare the iterations, these parameters exhibited deviations ranging from 3% to 9% compared to the control. This suggests a complex relationship between the aqueous medium’s structural–dynamic properties and the reactants’ supramolecular organization. These findings underscore the potential of vibrational iterations as a tool for modulating chemical reaction kinetics through aqueous medium engineering. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and expand the applicability of this approach to other systems.

Abstract The complex phases $$\phi _d$$ ϕ d and $$\phi _s$$ ϕ s , associated with the mixing between neutral $$B_q^0$$ B q 0 and $$\bar{B}_q^0$$ B ¯ q 0 mesons ( $$q\in \{d,s\}$$ q ∈ { d , s } ), are key observables to test the Standard Model and search for contributions from new physics. They are conventionally determined from the measurements of mixing-induced CP violation in the decays $$B_d^0\rightarrow J/\psi K^0$$ B d 0 → J / ψ K 0 , $$B_s^0\rightarrow J/\psi \phi $$ B s 0 → J / ψ ϕ and $$B_s^0\rightarrow D_s^+D_s^-$$ B s 0 → D s + D s - . To reach the highest possible precision on $$\phi _d$$ ϕ d and $$\phi _s$$ ϕ s , it is crucial that corrections from next-to-leading order effects – primarily associated with penguin decay topologies – are accounted for. The strategy adopted in this paper uses the SU (3) flavour symmetry of QCD to relate the unknown contributions from penguin topologies to their counterparts in suitably-chosen control modes, where their effects are enhanced. Utilising new CP asymmetry measurements from LHCb on the decays $$B_s^0\rightarrow D_s^+D_s^-$$ B s 0 → D s + D s - , $$B_d^0\rightarrow D^+D^-$$ B d 0 → D + D - , $$B^+\rightarrow J/\psi K^+$$ B + → J / ψ K + and $$B^+\rightarrow J/\psi \pi ^+$$ B + → J / ψ π + , as well as from Belle-II on the decay $$B_d^0\rightarrow J/\psi \pi ^0$$ B d 0 → J / ψ π 0 , we present the current state-of-the-art picture on controlling the penguin contributions and extract $$\phi _d$$ ϕ d and $$\phi _s$$ ϕ s from the corresponding observables. We explore the prospects for the end of the Belle-II and HL-LHC flavour physics programmes, and demonstrate the importance of measuring the control modes with future data.