Search Results (338)

The continuous evolution of advanced wireless IoT systems necessitates novel network protocols capable of enhancing resource efficiency and performance to support increasingly demanding applications. Full-duplex (FD) communication emerges as a key advanced wireless technology to address these needs by doubling spectral efficiency. However, unlocking this potential is non-trivial, as it introduces complex interference scenarios and requires sophisticated management of heterogeneous Quality of Service (QoS) demands, presenting a significant challenge for existing MAC protocols. To overcome these limitations through protocol optimization, this paper proposes IDA-FDMAC, a novel MAC architecture tailored for FD-enabled IoT networks. At its core, IDA-FDMAC employs a dynamic priority scheduling mechanism that concurrently manages interference and provisions for diverse QoS requirements. A comprehensive theoretical model is developed and validated through extensive simulations, demonstrating that our proposed architecture significantly boosts system throughput and ensures QoS guarantees. This work thus contributes a robust, high-performance solution aligned with the development of next-generation wireless IoT systems. Full article

This paper investigates the global dynamics of a broad class of nonlinear rational difference equations given by $x_{n+1}={\displaystyle \frac{a{x}_{n+1-2k}}{b+c{x}_{n+1-k}{x}_{n+1-2k}}},n=0,1,\dots ,$ which generalizes several known models in the literature. We establish the existence of exactly three equilibrium points and show that the trivial equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when the parameter ratio $\alpha =(b/a)$ lies in $(-1,1)$. The nontrivial equilibria are shown to be always unstable. An explicit general solution is derived, enabling a detailed analysis of solution behavior in terms of initial conditions and parameters. Furthermore, we identify and classify minimal period $2k$ and $4k$ solutions, providing necessary and sufficient conditions for the occurrence of constant and periodic behaviors. These analytical results are supported by numerical simulations, confirming the theoretical predictions. The findings generalize and refine existing results by offering a unified framework for analyzing a wide class of rational difference equations. Full article

In this paper, we consider a class of fractional advection–dispersion equations involving instantaneous and non-instantaneous impulses. The existence of nontrivial solutions is established via Bonanno and D’Aguì’s critical point theorem. Under suitable conditions, we further prove the nonexistence of nontrivial solutions, which is the new result. Additionally, the application of our main results is demonstrated through two examples. Full article

The analysis of earthquake source mechanisms is key for seismotectonic studies, but it is often limited to traditional methods plagued with issues of precision and automation. This is particularly true in low-seismicity areas with deep and/or hidden seismogenic sources, where the identification of precise source mechanisms is a difficult and non-trivial task. In this study, we present a detailed application of TESLA (Tool for automatic Earthquake low-frequency Spectral Level estimAtion), a novel tool designed to overcome these limitations. We demonstrated TESLA’s effectiveness in defining source mechanism analysis by applying it to seismic sequences that occurred near Asti (AT), in the Monferrato area (Southern Piedmont, Italy). Our analysis reveals that the observed clusters consist of two distinct seismic sequences, occurring in 1991 and 2012, which were activated by the same seismogenic source. We relocated a total of 36 events with magnitudes ranging from 1.1 to 3.7, using a 3D velocity model, and computed 12 well-constrained focal mechanism solutions using the first motion polarities and the low-frequency spectral level ratios. The results highlight a relatively small seismogenic source located at approximately 5 km north of Asti (AT), at a depth of between 10 and 25 km, trending SW–NE with strike-slip kinematics. A smaller cluster of three events shows an activation of a different fault segment at around 60 km of depth, also showing strike-slip kinematics. These findings are in good agreement with the regional stress field acting in the Monferrato area and support the use of investigation tools such as TESLA for microseismicity analysis. Full article

In this work, we explore a class of spherically symmetric black hole (BH) solutions within the framework of modified gravity, focusing on a non-ghost-free $f(R,G)$ theory coupled to a scalar field. We present a novel black hole geometry that arises as a deformation of the Schwarzschild solution and analyze its physical and thermodynamic properties. Our results show that the model satisfies stability conditions, with the Ricci scalar R, as well as its first and second derivatives, remaining positive throughout the spacetime. The solution admits multiple horizons and exhibits strong curvature singularities compared to those in general relativity. Furthermore, it supports a non-trivial scalar field potential. A comprehensive thermodynamic analysis is performed, including evaluations of the entropy, temperature, heat capacity, and quasi-local energy. We find that the black hole exhibits thermodynamic stability within certain ranges of model parameters. In addition, we investigate geodesic deviation and derive the conditions necessary for stability within the $f(R,G)$ gravitational framework. Full article

Background/Objectives: Controlled release systems, such as polymeric microparticles (MPs), have emerged as a promising solution to extend the bioavailability and reduce dosing frequency for biologic drugs; however, the formulation of these systems to encapsulate highly sensitive, hydrophilic biologic drugs within hydrophobic polymers remains a nontrivial task. Although scalable manufacturing and FDA approval of single emulsion processes encapsulating small molecules has been achieved, scaling more complex double emulsion processes to encapsulate hydrophilic biologics remains more challenging. Methods: Here, we demonstrate that two hydrophilic, low-molecular-weight, recombinant chemokines, CCL22 and CCL2, can be encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) MPs using a single emulsion method where the proteins are dissolved in an organic solvent during formulation. Results: As expected, we observed some differences in release kinetics from single emulsion MPs compared to double emulsion MPs, which traditionally have been used to encapsulate proteins. Single emulsion MPs exhibited a substantially reduced initial burst. Importantly, protein released from single emulsion CCL22-MPs also retained biological activity, as determined by a cell-based functional assay. Decreasing particle size or changing the polymer end group from PLGA-COOH to PLGA-OH increased the initial burst from single emulsion MPs, demonstrating tunability of release kinetics for protein-loaded, single emulsion MPs. Finally, to improve scalability and enable more precise control over MP formulations, the single emulsion process was adapted to a microfluidic, continuous manufacturing system, and the resulting MPs were evaluated similarly. Conclusions: Altogether, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using a single emulsion encapsulation method for at least some protein biologics. Full article

Modeling and simulation of aneurysm formation, growth, and rupture plays an essential role in a wide spectrum of application scenarios, ranging from risk stratification to stability prediction, and from clinical decision-making to treatment innovation. Unfortunately, it remains a non-trivial task due to the difficulties imposed by the complex and under-researched pathophysiological mechanisms behind the different development stages of various aneurysms. In this paper, we present a novel computational method for aneurysm simulation using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Firstly, we consider blood in a vessel as a kind of incompressible fluid and model its flow dynamics using the SPH method; and then, to simulate aneurysm growth and rupture, the relationship between the aneurysm development and the properties of fluid particles is established by solving the motion control equation. In view of the prevalence of aneurysms in bifurcation vessels, we further enhance the capability of the model by introducing a solution for bifurcation aneurysms simulation according to Murray’s law. In addition, a CUDA parallel computing scheme is also designed to speed up the simulation process. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, we conduct extensive experiments with different physical parameters associated with morphological characteristics of an aneurysm. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of proposed method in modeling and simulating aneurysm formation, growth, and rupture. Full article

In this paper, we are interested in a class of critical fractional Choquard–Kirchhoff equations with p-Laplacian on the Heisenberg group. By employing several critical point theorems, we obtain the existence and multiplicity of nontrivial solutions under different perturbation terms. Due to the critical convolution term, the compactness condition may fail. To overcome this, we apply the concentration-compactness principle. The results in this paper can be viewed as complementary to the previous results under the conditions of $s=1$, $p=2$, and in the subcritical case. Full article

In this paper, we investigate the existence of multiple solutions for a Kirchhoff-type equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions defined on locally finite graphs. Our study extends some previous results on nonlinear Laplacian equations to the more complex Kirchhoff equation which incorporates a nonlocal term. By employing an abstract three critical points theorem that is based on Morse theory, we provide sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence of at least three distinct solutions, including two strictly positive solutions. We also present an example to verify our results. Full article

Wormholes are non-trivial topological structures that arise as exact solutions to Einstein’s field equations, theoretically connecting distinct regions of spacetime via a throat-like geometry. While static traversable wormholes necessarily require exotic matter that violates the classical energy conditions, subsequent studies have sought to minimize such violations by introducing time-dependent geometries embedded within cosmological backgrounds. This review provides a comprehensive survey of evolving wormhole solutions, emphasizing their formulation within both general relativity and alternative theories of gravity. We explore key developments in the construction of non-static wormhole spacetimes, including those conformally related to static solutions, as well as dynamically evolving geometries influenced by scalar fields. Particular attention is given to the wormholes embedded into Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) universes and de Sitter backgrounds, where the interplay between the cosmic expansion and wormhole dynamics is analyzed. We also examine the role of modified gravity theories, especially in hybrid metric–Palatini gravity, which enable the realization of traversable wormholes supported by effective stress–energy tensors that do not violate the null or weak energy conditions. By systematically analyzing a wide range of time-dependent wormhole solutions, this review identifies the specific geometric and physical conditions under which wormholes can evolve consistently with null and weak energy conditions. These findings clarify how such configurations can be naturally integrated into cosmological models governed by general relativity or modified gravity, thereby contributing to a deeper theoretical understanding of localized spacetime structures in an expanding universe. Full article

This paper investigates a stochastic semi-parametric SEIR model characterized by infectivity during the incubation period and influenced by white noise perturbations. First, based on the theory of stochastic persistence, we derive the conditions required for the disease to persist within the model. Under these conditions, we apply Khasminskii’s ergodic theorem and Lyapunov functions to establish that the model possesses a unique ergodic stationary distribution. Finally, we utilize Khasminskii’s periodic theorem to examine the corresponding stochastic periodic SEIR model derived from the stochastic semi-parametric SEIR model, identifying sufficient conditions for the existence of non-trivial periodic solutions. Our theoretical results are further validated through numerical simulations. Full article

This paper investigates a new class of fractional integral operators, namely, the exponentially damped Riesz-type operators within the framework of variable exponent Lebesgue spaces $L^{\mathtt{p}(·)}$. To the best of our knowledge, the boundedness of such operators has not been addressed in any existing functional setting. We establish their boundedness under appropriate log-Hölder continuity and growth conditions on the exponent function $\mathtt{p}(·)$. To highlight the novelty and practical relevance of the proposed operator, we conduct a comparative analysis demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing convergence, regularity, and stability of solutions to partial differential equations. We also provide non-trivial examples that illustrate not only these properties but also show that, under this operator, a broader class of functions becomes locally integrable. The exponential decay factor notably broadens the domain of boundedness compared to classical Riesz and Bessel–Riesz potentials, making the operator more versatile and robust. Additionally, we generalize earlier results on Sobolev-type inequalities previously studied in constant exponent spaces by extending them to the variable exponent setting through our fractional operator, which reduces to the classical Riesz potential when the decay parameter $\lambda =0$. Applications to elliptic PDEs are provided to illustrate the functional impact of our results. Furthermore, we develop several new structural properties tailored to variable exponent frameworks, reinforcing the strength and applicability of the proposed theory. Full article

Finding a fair and efficient multi-resource allocation is a fundamental goal in cloud computing systems. In this paper, we consider the problem of multi-resource allocation with a bounded number of tasks. We propose a lexicographic max–min maximin share (LMM-MMS) fair allocation mechanism and design a non-trivial polynomial-time algorithm to find an LMM-MMS solution. In addition, we prove that LMM-MMS satisfies Pareto efficiency, sharing incentive, envy-freeness, and group strategy-proofness properties. The experimental results showed that LMM-MMS could produce a fair allocation with a higher resource utilization and completion ratio of user jobs than previous known fair mechanisms; LMM-MMS also performed well in resource sharing. Full article

Axially symmetric Taylor–Couette flows of incompressible second grade fluids induced by time-dependent couples inside an infinite circular cylinder are studied under the action of an external magnetic field. The influence of the medium porosity is taken into account in the mathematical modeling. Analytical expressions for the dimensionless non-trivial shear stress and the corresponding fluid velocity were determined using the finite Hankel and Laplace transforms. The solutions obtained are new in the specialized literature and can be customized for various problems of interest in engineering practice. For illustration, the cases of oscillating and constant couples have been considered, and the steady state components of the shear stresses were presented in equivalent forms. Numerical schemes based on finite differences have been formulated for determining the numerical solutions of the proposed problem. It was shown that the numerical results based on analytical solutions and those obtained with the numerical methods have close values with very good accuracy. It was also proved that the fluid flows more slowly and the steady state is reached earlier in the presence of a magnetic field or porous medium. Full article