NK cells limit the synergistic anti-tumor effect of PD-1 inhibition and βγ-biased IL-2.

Despite its potential as a cancer immunotherapy, wild-type IL-2 is limited by dose-limiting toxicities, including vascular leak syndrome, and its strong activation of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which dampens anti-tumor immunity. These drawbacks are largely driven by IL-2's binding to IL-2Rα, and avoiding this interaction can reduce IL-2-associated toxicities, although it cannot completely eliminate them. To overcome these limitations, βγ-biased IL-2 variants (Non-α-IL-2) have been developed to selectively activate effector T and NK cells.

The facilitators and barriers of emotional well-being in Chinese adolescents with epilepsy based on the PERMA model: A qualitative study.

Objective: Explore the factors that promote and hinder emotional well-being(EWB) in adolescents with epilepsy(AWE), and provide theoretical evidence for promoting the improvement of EWB in AWEs.

Method: Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 AWEs aged 13-18 years, and data analysis was performed based on the PERMA model.

Results: Four subthemes of facilitating factors for EWB in AWEs were identified: positive emotions (positive experiences in daily life), engagement (stage-appropriate feasible goals), relationships (harmonious family relationships, supportive peer relationships, and understanding teachers), and accomplishment (stage-appropriate feasible goals).

Controlled Carbothermal Shock Fabrication of Unique Double-Layer Core-Shell Fe@FeC@Graphite as an Enhanced, Efficient, and Stable Fenton-Like Catalyst.

Iron-carbon materials have emerged as promising heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for the removal of emerging organic contaminants. However, their practical applications are substantially hindered by complex preparation procedures and irreversible deactivation of iron centers. Herein, a novel double-layer core-shell catalyst Fe@FeC@Graphite (Fe-CTS-3000) is one-step synthesized by a high-temperature carbothermal shock (CTS) strategy.

Evaluation zooplankton community and energy transfer efficiency: A case in the coastal waters of Shandong, China.

Zooplankton are sensitive indicators of environmental changes and crucial components of marine food webs, facilitating energy transfer between primary producers and higher trophic levels. This study used ZooScan image analysis to investigate variations in zooplankton abundance and biovolume in Shandong coastal waters during spring (May 2022), summer (August 2022), and winter (December 2022 and February 2023). Functional indices such as taxonomic diversity, the normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS), size diversity, and mean body size were calculated to describe the seasonal dynamics of energy transfer efficiency in zooplankton.

A Trailblazing Quenching Strategy for Simultaneous LiF Formation at Surface and Intergranular Interfaces for Enhanced Stability of High-Ni NCM Cathodes.

Water-washing effectively removes surface residual lithium from high-Ni LiNiCoMnO (NCM) cathodes; however, it inevitably degrades the electrochemical performance. To address this issue, integrated strategies targeting the conversion of surface residual lithium into artificial coating layers on high-Ni NCM cathodes have been proposed; however, these require further processing, thus hindering their industrial application. This study proposes a trailblazing strategy for directly converting residual lithium into a LiF layer simultaneously formed on both the surface of secondary particles and the interfaces between the primary particles of high-Ni NCM, without requiring further processing.

Composite nano copper carrier combining cuproptosis and photodynamic therapy for spatiotemporal synergistic anti-tumor therapy.

Cuproptosis is a copper-dependent programmed cell death triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction, which offers significant anti-tumor potential but requires tumor-specific copper delivery to avoid systemic toxicity. Here, we developed a synergistic nanoplatform (CuO@SiO-Ce6, CSC) integrating cuproptosis induction with photodynamic therapy (PDT). A cuprous oxide (CuO) core was encapsulated in silicon dioxide and covalently linked to the photosensitizer Ce6.

MVPCR: Multiplex Visual Detection Strategy Based on Ultrafast PCR for Point-of-Care Pathogens Detection Within 10 Min.

Unlabelled: Pathogens pose significant threats to biosecurity and environmental health due to their potential for widespread outbreaks. Effective pathogen detection requires methods that are rapid, sensitive, specific, and informative. Here, we proposed a multiplex visual detection system that integrated ultrafast polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and molecular beacons, allowing the simultaneous detection of three pathogens in a one-pot reaction.

Effects of aerobic combined with resistance exercise on cardiopulmonary function in patients with coronary heart disease: a bayesian meta-analysis based on dose-response, baseline status, and other moderators.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CHD) is one of the major public health problems worldwide. International guidelines recommend ongoing management of metabolic abnormalities and improved prognosis through combined aerobic and resistance exercise (CE), and the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CE and exercise dose on cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), in patients with CHD.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, with the search limited to the date of the inception of the database to January 2025 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Communicating with two vehicles immediately ahead boosts traffic capacity sixfold in connected autonomous vehicle platoons.

Addressing urban congestion through enhanced traffic capacity has emerged as a critical objective for connected autonomous driving technologies. An irredundant communication connectivity topology is essential for ensuring the high efficiency and stability of the traffic system, which has not been fully validated due to the scarcity of real-world tests. Motivated by this fact, this paper deploys a connected autonomous vehicle platoon without relying on the information of a platoon leader to preserve the possibility of extending the platoon in future practical applications.

The fabrication of N, S co-doped carbon dots and cascade sensing Hg and bovine serum albumin in food with reversible strategy.

High-performance effective and precise detection of Hg possesses great significance for ensuring environmental, food safety and public health, but still a great challenge. Here, efficient fabrication of NS-doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) were achieved and applied as fluorescent probe for cascade sensing Hg and BSA. NS-CDs emitted green emission at 500 nm under 355 nm excitation.

Mechanistic insights into Nipah virus 5' UTR functionality reveal an antiviral target.

The highly pathogenic Nipah virus (NiV), a World Health Organization priority pathogen with pandemic potential, remains a critical public health threat due to its capacity to cause fatal encephalitis and respiratory disease. Despite its 1998 emergence, no approved therapeutics exist against NiV infection, underscoring the urgent need to identify genomic regulatory elements as antiviral targets. Our study focuses on the extended 5' UTRs characteristic of NiV transcripts, a distinctive genomic feature whose functional significance remained enigmatic.

The efficacy of early facial nerve decompression in treating severe Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Background: The incidence of Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) has significantly increased in recent years, highlighting the need to explore effective surgical treatment strategies.

Methods: A total of 12 patients with severe RHS who visited our hospital from January 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively included. The results of neuroelectrophysiological examination of the affected and healthy sides of all patients at baseline, 1 month postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, 6 months postoperatively, and 12 months postoperatively were counted.

Delay in Diabetes Diagnosis After High-Deductible Health Plan Enrollment: A Pre-Post Study with Control.

Background: High-deductible health plan (HDHP) members face relatively high out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for urgent care, high-acuity care, and secondary prevention. These costs could affect the timing of cardiometabolic disease diagnosis.

Objective: To determine whether HDHPs are associated with delays in diabetes diagnosis and increases in health care costs in the period surrounding new diagnoses.

Prognostic Value of Functional Incomplete Revascularization in Patients Undergoing Valve Surgery With Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Coronary angiography remains standard for assessing lesions in valve surgery patients with concomitant coronary artery disease.

Objectives: This study assessed the prognostic value of functional evaluation using quantitative flow ratio in these patients.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing valve surgery (January 2016-December 2021) with ≥1 vessel stenosis (50%-90%) were included.

Self-assembled DNAzyme based on the nicking enzyme amplification reaction for microRNA detection.

MiRNAs play crucial roles in cell proliferation, metabolism, and signal transduction, and have been established as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment for many years. Traditional methods for detecting miRNAs have several drawbacks, including poor sensitivity, time-consuming processes, and laborious steps. We have combined nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR) with DNAzyme to develop a single-tube detection platform for highly sensitive and rapid detection of miRNA-21.

Multi-omics profiling reveals liver-retina axis in high-fat diet-induced early retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness in the working-age population, is a severe complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The global increase in T2DM due to high-fat diets necessitates urgent research into the pathogenesis and precision treatments for high-fat-induced DR. Emerging clinical evidence of liver-retina crosstalk offers new mechanistic insights, while the underlying network of metabolites and secreted proteins within the liver-retina axis in high-fat diets induced retinopathy remains unclear.

2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) induces early hearing loss in guinea pigs via activating AhR to trigger mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress-regulated autophagy.

2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant linked to early neurotoxicity, but its effects on hearing loss during early development remain unclear. We exposed weanling guinea pigs to BDE-47 (1, 10, 50 mg/kg/day) via gavage for 28 days, finding increased hearing thresholds at 0.5 and 4 kHz, hair cell damage, and elevated AhR, LC3B, and P-SQSTM1 levels.

More employers offer preventive drug lists over time.

Objective: To describe trends in employer preventive drug list (PDL) offerings and associations of employer PDL offerings with employer and workforce characteristics.

Study Design: Observational and cross-sectional descriptive study.

Methods: Using a large administrative health claims database, we studied employer offering of PDLs between January 2005 and December 2017.

Trends in insulin out-of-pocket costs and use disparities, 2008-2021.

Objective: To assess trends in insulin out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, use, and disparities among commercially insured patients from 2008 to 2021.

Study Design: Retrospective time series from a national insurance database, with members in all US states, including data from 2008 to 2021.

Methods: Insulin OOP costs and 30-day equivalent fills per year were quantified among insulin users aged 12 to 64 years, stratified by income (low- vs high-poverty zip code) and health plan type (high-deductible health plans with savings options [HDHP/SO] vs not).

Assessing the Policy Gaps for Achieving China's Carbon Neutrality Target.

The global commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions requires reform of existing policies, the formulation of new policies, and concrete policy implementation in every country. This paper provides an early effort to examine the overall readiness of China's 1+N climate policy package to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and to explore policy gaps. We use a mixed methods approach, combining a comprehensive policy inventory, an expert survey, and a system dynamics model to analyze the adequacy of China's climate policies.

Metabolomics navigates natural variation in pathogen-induced secondary metabolism across soybean cultivar populations.

e-induced root rot poses a major threat to soybean production. While the molecular mechanisms underlying soybean- interactions have been extensively studied, their biochemical basis remains largely unexplored. Previous research has identified key metabolic modules involved in pathogen defense, but structural diversity has largely been constrained by studies on single soybean accessions.

Radiometric calibration and reflectivity inversion of spaceborne LiDAR.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) onboard satellites are used not only for global height measurement but also to actively obtain global surface reflectance, which helps in separating surface targets on the basis of their reflectivity properties. In this paper, methods for obtaining surface reflectance with the LiDAR onboard the Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Inventory Satellite, which is nicknamed Goumang, are studied. The radiation model for LiDAR to obtain surface reflectance is constructed on the basis of the transmission path of the laser.

Robust ESPI fringe pattern denoising method using the Restormer Partial Differential Network (Res-PDNet).

Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) is an important non-destructive testing technique. Denoising the interference fringe pattern is the key link of this technique as well as a hot spot of current research. In this work, we introduce the Restormer Partial Differential Network (Res-PDNet) for ESPI fringe denoising.

Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Among Adults with Disabilities After a Medicare Opioid Limit Policy.

Objective: Determine whether a Medicare 7-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions (effective January 1, 2019) was associated with reductions in duration, dosage, and subsequent opioid fills among post-operative adults with disabilities.

Background: Post-operative adults with disabilities are at increased risk for uncontrolled pain and extended opioid use.

Methods: We identified adults with disability entitlement aged 18-64 from national Medicare Advantage health plan claims data who underwent common surgeries between July 2016-June 2021.

A Clinical Investigation Into the Effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection and Vaccination in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

This study systematically evaluated the humoral immune responses and cytokine profiles of 259 pediatric participants, comprising both healthy individuals and patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), following either administration of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or natural infection. The data indicate that vaccination elicits measurable immune responses in both groups, supporting its relevance in immunocompromised pediatric populations. Although antigen-specific responses to the spike (S) protein and receptor-binding domain (RBD) were attenuated in the ALL cohort, levels of neutralizing antibodies and antibodies capable of inhibiting RBD-ACE2 binding were comparable to those in healthy controls, suggesting that functional antibody-mediated immunity can still be achieved in ALL patients.