This paper presents a robust co-design framework for differential spiral electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) biosensors, developed as an in silico methodological study for urine-sensing applications in bladder cancer surveillance. The objective is to improve parameter identifiability in label-free differential urine sensing when nuisance effects, fabrication tolerances, and reference mismatch reduce estimation reliability. The framework combines differential sensing to suppress shared common-mode nuisance with joint optimization of sensor geometry and frequency selection. The design is formulated as a minimax Fisher-information problem to improve worst-case identifiability.The primary co-design evaluation uses an application-motivated synthetic protocol with matched budgets and multiple baselines. The proposed method improves worst-case identifiability and Cramér–Rao lower-bound proxy metrics at the same frequency budget, with consistent gains under budget variation, uncertainty amplification, and reference mismatch. To examine transfer beyond the synthetic model family at component level, we additionally analyzed an independent measured EIS dataset using grouped hold-out validation and training-only empirical minimax frequency selection. At a four-frequency budget, the measured-data analysis achieved a balanced accuracy of 79.6%±11.6%, compared with 70.4%±14.0% for log-uniform selection and 74.1%±8.5% for the full 101-frequency spectrum. This independent analysis supports the differential sparse-frequency design principle outside the synthetic generator, but it does not validate the optimized spiral geometry, urine sensing, bladder-cancer diagnosis, or clinical readiness.
Chemically ordered quaternary MAX phases offer a route to tailor stiffness, anisotropy, and transport in layered carbides. Using all-electron FP-LAPW DFT (GGA-PBE), we investigate V2ZrSiC2 and Ti2ZrSiC2 in alpha- and beta-stacking variants. EOS fits show strong stacking sensitivity: alpha polytypes are stiffer (bulk moduli similar to 216 GPa for V2ZrSiC2 and similar to 192 GPa for Ti2ZrSiC2) than beta polytypes (similar to 178 and similar to 157 GPa). Elastic constants satisfy the Born criteria, and VRH averages indicate higher shear/tensile rigidity and hardness for Ti2ZrSiC2 (G approximate to 136 GPa, E approximate to 328 GPa, and HV approximate to 21 GPa) than that for V2ZrSiC2 (G approximate to 121 GPa, E approximate to 305 GPa, and HV approximate to 14 GPa), while V2ZrSiC2 retains higher incompressibility (B approximate to 214 GPa). Both phases are metallic with transition-metal d states dominating near EF, and phonon dispersions show no imaginary modes along the sampled path. Quasi-harmonic Debye-Gr & uuml;neisen results yield Theta D similar to 669 K (V2ZrSiC2) and similar to 726 K (Ti2ZrSiC2); Slack-type estimates give kph similar to 10-11 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K with an approximate 1/T decrease. The computed linear CTE at 1300 K (alpha L approximate to 0.95 and 1.06 & times; 10-5 K-1) lies between those of representative alpha-Al2O3 and YSZ, suggesting screening-level thermo-expansion compatibility for coating-stack layers. Energies above the convex hull are Delta Ehull similar to 0.10-0.19 eV per atom, indicating metastability at T = 0 K with respect to competing phases and motivating further synthesis-focused thermodynamic analysis alongside oxidation and interface-stability assessment.
Nanoparticles (NPs) are small-sized particles that have various applications; however, these metallic particles are found to be toxic against aquatic organisms. Therefore, the current study observed the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) using Ctenopharyngodon idella by swimming behavior, bioaccumulation, histopathological alterations, and oxidative stress. Fish were exposed to AgNPs and IONPs (5.16 mg/L) for 10 days to assess their possible effects on behavioral and physiological changes. Results showed that both NPs significantly decreased the critical swimming speed (Ucrit), and found a significant correlation between body size and swimming speed. The NPs were significantly accumulated in the intestine, followed by muscles, gills, liver, and brain (p < 0.05), which resulted in histological alterations, i.e., necrosis in gill lamella and grey matter disruption in brain. In addition, the NPs resulted in oxidative stress, i.e., the superoxide dismutase enzyme in the gill was significantly increased (291.66 ± 4.04) in the IONPs group. The possible mechanisms include NP-induced gill damage and altered gill morphology, which may impair respiratory efficiency, ROS, and osmoregulation, leading to reduced swimming performance.
The discharge of dye-laden and heavy-metal-containing wastewater poses a serious environmental challenge, necessitating sustainable and cost-effective treatment technologies. In this study, activated sludge derived from natural wastewater sources was investigated as a green biosorbent for the simultaneous removal of Basic Blue 9 (BB9) dye and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The physicochemical properties of the sludge were characterized using SEM–EDS, FTIR, BET, XRD, and TGA analyses, revealing a porous structure, abundant surface functional groups, and good thermal stability. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of solution pH, contact time, initial pollutant concentration, and adsorbent dosage. Optimal adsorption was achieved at pH 6, a contact time of 120 min, and a sludge dosage of 2.0 g L⁻¹. Under these conditions, the maximum adsorption capacities reached 78.6 mg g⁻¹ for BB9 and 52.3 mg g⁻¹ for Pb(II). Kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the dominant rate-controlling mechanism. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm, suggesting monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface. Regeneration studies demonstrated that the activated sludge retained more than 78
Chronic wounds are a global health issue due to persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired extracellular matrix remodelling. Lutein, a xanthophyll carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, holds therapeutic promise but suffers from poor solubility and skin permeability. To overcome these limitations, a lutein–acacia gum–sodium alginate (LUT–ACC–SA) nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel was developed to enhance topical delivery and accelerate wound healing. Nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels were formulated via ionic gelation and optimised for particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index. The statistically optimised nanogel system was developed using Box–Behnken design (1.0 mg/mL LUT, 12.2 mg/mL ACC, 2.5
