ResearchWorks (United States)

Repeating earthquakes are close to identical seismic events that recur on the same fault patch with consistent focal mechanisms. They can be used to estimate local fault slip and their magnitude-dependent recurrence intervals can serve to infer patterns of aseismically creeping zones at depth. We have constructed a long-term catalog of repeating earthquakes for the Atacama segment of the Chilean subduction zone. Using waveforms from approximately 60,000 earthquakes as templates, we performed GPU-based template matching on continuous data from 25 permanent seismic stations from 2014 to 2024 and one additional station with data from 1998 to 2024. The resulting catalog includes 4781 repeating events grouped into 1142 families, showing variability in size and behavior, from long-lasting sequences to short-term bursts. Several magnitude M5.7+ earthquakes significantly influenced the occurrence rates of nearby repeaters. The dataset is dominated by the 2015 MW 8.3 Illapel megathrust earthquake. This catalog aims to support detailed analysis of rupture processes, source structures, and the spatiotemporal evolution of slow slip at depth. The production and reporting style are similar to a previous article by Folesky et al. (2025) on the adjacent northern Chile repeater catalog.

This study evaluated the optimal energy-to-protein ratio in practical reduced-protein diets to evaluate the production performance, nutrient digestibility, and egg quality parameters of laying hens between 20 and 35 weeks of age. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.548 was achieved at 15.5% crude protein (CP) and 100% recommended apparent metabolizable energy (AME) level with a reduced-protein diet, followed by 14% CP and 95% recommended AME levels (2.634) from 20 to 35 weeks of age (WOA) (p < 0.05). The yolk index was reduced only in diets containing 17% CP at 90% AME levels (p < 0.01) at week 35. Reduced dietary protein from 17% to 14% decreased egg weight and body weight gain between 20 and 35 WOA (p < 0.05) as well as decreased hen weight and shell breaking strength at 35 WOA (p < 0.05). However, it also reduced nitrogen excretion by 30% (p < 0.001) and increased protein digestibility by 17% (p < 0.01). Between 20 and 35 weeks of age, reducing dietary energy from 100% to 90% AME increased feed intake (p < 0.001), while excreta moisture, dry matter digestibility, and energy digestibility decreased at week 35 (p < 0.001). At week 27, reducing energy from 100% to 90% AME increased shell weight (p < 0.05), whereas lowering protein from 15.5% to 14% increased shell proportion (p < 0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that reducing dietary protein level from 17% to 15.5% with a 100% recommended AME level is optimal to improve feed efficiency while maintaining egg quality in laying hens from 20 to 35 WOA.

BackgroundCranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is a low-intensity, pulsed neuromodulation technique widely marketed for reducing stress and anxiety. Despite its popularity, empirical evidence for its efficacy remains mixed, with few studies employing rigorous controls, standardized protocols, and repeated CES exposures.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether repeated CES sessions can attenuate physiological, biochemical, cognitive, and affective responses to an acute laboratory stressor.MethodsA double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with 46 healthy participants (27 military personnel, 19 civilians). Participants were randomized to receive either active CES (250–500 μA at 0.5Hz, individualized intensity) or sham stimulation for 20 sessions over approximately four weeks. At baseline and follow-up visits, participants underwent acute stress induction using torso shock; measures included physiological (heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, pupil diameter), biochemical (salivary alpha-amylase, cortisol), cognitive (spatial orientation, recognition memory, decision-making), and affective (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) indices.ResultsStress induction reliably elevated sympathetic-adrenal medulla (SAM) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) markers as well as subjective anxiety. However, across nearly all outcomes, active CES did not differ significantly from sham, nor were there interactions with session (baseline vs. follow-up). No meaningful group differences were observed in stress recovery, self-reported anxiety, or stress-related cognitive performance.ConclusionsThese predominantly null findings challenge prevailing mechanistic accounts of CES and suggest limited efficacy in buffering acute stress responses in healthy, neurotypical individuals. Further controlled trials are needed to explore alternative parameters, populations, and neurophysiological endpoints to better understand CES’s therapeutic potential.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT06034496.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) are among the most promising motors in electric vehicles due to their high torque density and efficiency. This paper is devoted to detailed electromagnetic investigations of permanent magnet synchronous motor, accounting for specific rotor eccentricity and uneven magnetization. A series of simulations are performed for a 90 HP interior PMSM to investigate the changes in the radial and tangential forces when the rotor is perfectly aligned or with static, dynamic, and mixed eccentricities. Besides, the influence of uneven magnetization due to manufacturing, demagnetization, and magnet deterioration is discussed. The forces are then used to load a vibro-acoustic model to evaluate the impact on the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance and predict the radiated sound power level for the different conditions.</div></div>

Abstract Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become a standard treatment option in patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). Although immune checkpoint inhibitors are largely effective in these patients, MSI is an imperfect biomarker and other therapies may be warranted. A mechanistic Computational Biology Model (CBM) was developed by Cellworks that can be personalized based on a patient’s tumor-based genomic profile, revealing signaling pathway dysregulation and patient-specific drug response. Model output was used to identify MSI-H patients who may have a poorer response to ICIs. Design: Computational biosimulation was performed using real-world retrospective cohorts of 423 STAD patients and 534 CRC patients (TCGA). MSI measurements were provided by TCGA. Efficacy scores (ES) based on biosimulated composite cell growth in response to disease and therapy were generated on all patients for pembrolizumab. Molecular rationales for ICI resistance were identified for MSI-H patients with low pembrolizumab ES (ES-L). Results: Model efficacy scores for pembrolizumab were significantly higher in MSI-H patients for both STAD (average ES 20.5 vs 3.2 respectively, p-value < 0.001) as well as CRC (average ES 13.4 vs 2.4 respectively, p-value < 0.001). Of the MSI-H patients, 59% and 81% were ES-L (STAD and CRC respectively) MSI-H/ES-L STAD patients showed a significantly higher percentage of NOTCH2, EGFR, and EZH2 amplifications as well as a higher percentage of TP53-SOF mutations, whereas MSI-H/ES-L CRC patients showed a significantly higher percentage of MYC amplifications (p-value < 0.05) Conclusions: In this study, a therapy efficacy score produced through biosimulation was significantly associated with microsatellite instability levels, and markers of ICI resistance were identified in MSI-H/ES-L patients. Future studies will be performed to confirm the hypothesis that biosimulation has utility in deciding which MSI-H patients might benefit from therapies other than ICI. Citation Format: Adity Ghosh, Mamatha Patil, Anuj Tyagi, Ansu Kumar, Chandan Kumar, Muthiyah MR, Rahul KR, Swati Khandelwal, Jyoti Chauhan, Michael Castro, Shweta Kapoor, James Wingrove. Use of biosimulation to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance in patients with high microsatellite instability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 3308.

Approximately 50% of prostate cancer (PCa) patients harbor fusions involving the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes. Despite this, tailored therapies targeting the fused gene, tERG , remain undeveloped. Our study analyzed biopsy samples from two clinical trials assessing the efficacies of androgen receptor (AR) signaling inhibitors (ARSIs). The results revealed that tERG promotes resistance to ARSIs and is associated with elevated levels of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Subsequent assays showed that GR directly interacts with tERG, alleviates allosteric autoinhibition and prevents chemotherapy-induced tERG degradation. In PCa models, either inhibiting GR or lowering cortisol levels suppressed tumor growth in tERG-positive models, but not in fusion-negative models. In addition, patient-derived fusion-positive xenografts displayed enhanced sensitivity to combined GR and AR inhibitors. Collectively, these findings highlight TMPRSS2-ERG as a new biomarker and propose that simultaneous inhibition of GR and AR may specifically benefit tERG -positine patients. However, GR stimulatory corticosteroid therapies may not be advisable for this patient subgroup.

The improvements in digital communication have made communication between humans very instant. However, personal and sensitive information may be available online through social networks and online services that lack the security measures to protect this information. Social engineering attacks are inevitable and imperil the integrity, security, and confidentiality of the information used on social media platforms. Prominent technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and proactive access controls, were adopted in the literature to confront the social engineering attacks on social media. Social engineering has emerged as a significant threat in the realm of cybersecurity, exploiting human vulnerabilities rather than technological weaknesses. This review paper explores the various forms of social engineering attacks, their psychological underpinnings, and their impact on organizations and individuals. Furthermore, it examines current countermeasures and highlights gaps in existing approaches, proposing directions for future research and development in mitigating social engineering threats. Lastly, we shed light on the open issues and research challenges of social engineering attacks where research gaps still exist and require further investigation.

Abstract Innovations in interface design have made digital mediums increasingly appealing to children and adolescents. Today’s youth adapt quickly to new digital technologies, from smartphones to video game consoles. These factors have fueled interest in digital therapeutics to augment existing treatment modalities for various pediatric diseases. Digital therapeutics use gamification, momentary symptom assessment, and sensor-based data collection to provide immediate feedback to users in order to teach skills and manage maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. The first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved digital therapeutic for child mental health, EndeavorRx, was approved in 2020 for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-associated symptoms. Other promising digital treatments include ecological momentary intervention (EMI) protocols for depression and anxiety and as mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite the surging interest in digital therapeutics for mental health, their efficacy remains mostly unclear. Independent clinical trials are few in number, and it is challenging to compare studies that use different study populations, methodologies, and/or outcome measures. Outstanding issues of data security, digital literacy, and lack of clinician familiarity further limit incorporation of digital therapeutics into the clinical setting. Collaborative problem-solving between private industry, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers will be critical in order to ensure the creation of both efficacious technologies and equitable access.