The protective role of TIGIT+ B cells in attenuating type 1 diabetes progression.

Aims: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. While T cells are well-known critical, growing evidence shows that B cells also play a key role in T1D development. T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT), as an inhibitory immune checkpoint, is important in maintaining immune homeostasis and has become a therapeutic target for several autoimmune diseases.

Selective Catalysis-Mediated Interface to Stabilize Antimony Atom-Cluster Anode for Robust Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Controlling the electrode-electrolyte interfacial behavior is crucial for achieving a high-quality solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and ensuring sustainable battery performance. Here, we propose a selective catalysis strategy to stabilize antimony atom-cluster (Sb) anode/electrolyte interface for robust potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Specifically, the electrode featuring Sb in porous carbon (Sb/PC) as "electrocatalyst" unduly catalyzes the reduction of the dimethyl ether-based electrolyte, resulting in loose SEI layer and rapid capacity decay.

Electrochemistry-Accelerated Water-Gas Shift Reaction on IrN-RhN Dual Sites Catalysts for Efficient Hydrogen Production.

The water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) is crucial to the hydrogen economy, which is hampered by the harsh conditions and complicated purification process. In this work, the spatially separated efficient CO conversion and high-purity H production are realized by electrochemistry-accelerated water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) with IrN-RhN dual sites single atom catalysts (IrRh-NC) in high-temperature polymer-electrolyte-membrane electrolyzer. In this reaction, the Ir single atoms in the catalysts can rapidly dissociate HO at an extremely low potential to supply abundant *OH, which ensures the *OH groups bind to the spontaneously adsorbed *CO on neighboring Rh sites to further accelerate CO conversion.

Enhancing Interlayer Bonding in DLP-Printed Piezoelectric Ceramics via Controlled Secondary Curing for High Piezoelectric Performance.

Digital light processing (DLP) presents a promising approach for fabricating intricately designed piezoelectric components, which are essential for developing high-sensitivity piezoelectric sensor systems. However, the inherent layer-by-layer stacking nature of DLP induces interlayer cracking in printed ceramics, which severely deteriorates their performance. This work introduces an innovative interfacial engineering strategy to print superlattice components with exceptional piezoelectric performance.

Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Transcriptomic and Immune Microenvironment Reprogramming during Thyroid Carcinoma Dedifferentiation.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most lethal human malignancies, often evolving from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) through a poorly understood dedifferentiation process. To elucidate this transition, spatial transcriptomic sequencing (spRNAseq) is performed on seven samples containing coexisting regions of ATC, poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and DTC. SpRNAseq revealed that ATC regions were characterized by upregulated genes involved in immune suppression, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling.

Serine/Threonine Kinase 33 as a Novel Target of Bufalin in Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Identifying novel therapeutic targets and drugs is crucial for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Bufalin, a key active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine HuaChansu, has been employed in tumor therapy. Here, SPR-LC-MS/MS is employed to characterize the targets of Bufalin and found that serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33) possesses a strong binding affinity to Bufalin.

Clinical gene therapy restores hearing: a paradigm shift.

Recent breakthroughs in gene therapy for autosomal recessive deafness 9 (DFNB9) caused by OTOF mutations have transformed treatment paradigms for hereditary hearing loss (HHL). To date, eight clinical trials targeting DFNB9 have been registered in 51 centers across eight countries, demonstrating the rapid progress of gene therapy in auditory medicine. These pioneering studies establish the framework for the clinical translation of gene therapy targeting HHL.

Target volume delineation of the neck for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, the Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology collaboratively developed evidence-based guidelines and a comprehensive contouring atlas for neck target volume delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These guidelines address five key challenges in modern radiotherapy practice: margin design of clinical target volume; nodal target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; delineation of equivocal nodes evident on imaging; low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on regional stepwise extension patterns; and modifications for anatomical boundaries of lymphatic areas. Developed through a rigorous systematic review and expert appraisal process by a panel of 50 international, multidisciplinary members from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines incorporate the latest advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology jointly developed evidence-based guidelines and a contouring atlas for primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The guidelines systematically address three crucial challenges: margin design of clinical target volumes; target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; and low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on local stepwise extension patterns. Based on a comprehensive systematic review and critical appraisal by an international multidisciplinary panel of 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma specialists from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines are in keeping with advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment, embodying contemporary treatment concepts, and elaborating on the differences in practice.

First-line benmelstobart plus anlotinib versus sunitinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (ETER100): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Background: The underexplored potential of PD-L1 blockade in advanced renal cell carcinoma highlights an urgent need for novel agents. This trial aimed to compare benmelstobart (a novel PD-L1 inhibitor) plus anlotinib with sunitinib as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: ETER100 was a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial conducted at 37 medical sites in China.

Early-life nutritional additives, household environment, and air pollution in relation to childhood food allergies: A multi-city mother-child study in China.

Background: Nutritional supplements and environments have been linked with food allergy (FA), but little research has explored their interactions on children's FA.

Objectives: To explore the associations between early-life nutritional supplements, household environmental factors (HEFs), and outdoor air pollutant (OAP) exposures, and their interactions on children's FAs.

Methods: We collected 20,730 surveyed questionnaires from five Chinese cities, covering data on individual characteristics, health outcomes, and HEFs.

Dual-perspective decoupling network for kidney tumor segmentation on CT images.

The key challenges in kidney tumor segmentation include unpredictable location, high similarity among objects, and variability in boundaries. Existing approaches mostly handle these challenges from an object-agnostic perspective or a single decoupling perspective, which limits their ability to address all the aforementioned challenges. To tackle these problems, we propose a Dual-perspective Decoupling Network (DDNet), which consists of the Dual-perspective Decoupling Module (DDM) and the Edge Refinement Module (ERM).

Multifunctional Hybrid Membrane-Coated Nanomotors for Magnetically Guided, Cascade-Activated Chemoimmunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Here, we report a multifunctional hybrid membrane-coated nanomotor for cancer chemoimmunotherapy, which consists of mesoporous silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (MF) as a drug carrier, loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), l-arginine (l-arg), and glucose oxidase (GOx), and camouflaged with a hybrid of red blood cell membranes (mRBC) and cancer cell membranes (CCM). RM-GDL-MF has a cascade of catalytic reactions, where glucose is catalyzed by GOx to produce HO, and l-arg is oxidized by the produced HO to release nitric oxide (NO), leading to self-propelled motion in order to promote the penetration of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the tumor. The hybrid membrane provides not only stealth properties from mRBC to evade immune clearance but also tumor-orientation ability to target the tumor from the CCM.

EBAMP: An efficient de novo broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide discovery framework.

De novo design of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is challenging due to the vast combinatorial space and unknown mechanisms. We propose EBAMP, a generative-discriminative framework for de novo broad-spectrum AMP design targeting bacteria and fungi. EBAMP combines a Transformer-based generative model with advanced feature-based screening to explore peptide space and select multiobjective candidates.

Microbiome Diversity and Dynamics in Lotus-Fish Co-Culture Versus Intensive Pond Systems: Implications for Sustainable Aquaculture.

The lotus-fish co-culture (LFC) system leverages plant-fish symbiosis to optimize aqua-culture environments, enhancing both economic and ecological yields. However, the eco-logical mechanisms of microbial communities in LFC systems remain poorly understood, particularly regarding the functional roles of fungi, archaea, and viruses. This study compared microbiota (viruses, archaea, fungi) in water, sediment, and fish (crucian carp) gut of LFC and intensive pond culture (IPC) systems using integrated metagenomic and environmental analyses.

Metal(loid) Source Apportionment and Spatial Drivers in Irrigated Terrace Soils in a Typical Pb-Zn Mining Area.

Metal(loid) contamination levels and the factors governing metal(loid) accumulation patterns in terraced agricultural systems were studied using 1250 surface (0-20 cm depth) soil samples. The average concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Pb, and Zn were 132, 62.3, 140, 42.

Connectiveness of Antimicrobial Resistance Genotype-Genotype and Genotype-Phenotype in the "Intersection" of Skin and Gut Microbes.

The perianal skin is a unique "skin-gut" boundary that serves as a critical hotspot for the exchange and evolution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, its role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has often been underestimated. To characterize the resistance patterns in the perianal skin environment of patients with perianal diseases and to investigate the drivers of AMR in this niche, a total of 51 bacterial isolates were selected from a historical strain bank containing isolates originally collected from patients with perianal diseases.

Formation and Biological Characteristics Analysis of Artificial Gynogenetic WuLi Carp Induced by Inactivated Sperm of Megalobrama Amblycephala.

Artificial gynogenesis is an essential technique for aquaculture breeding. Fertile offspring of the WuLi carp ( var. Quanzhounensis, 2 = 100, WLC) were successfully produced via gynogenesis using ultraviolet-irradiated sperm from the blunt snout bream (, 2 = 48, BSB).

Biocontrol Potential of Rhizosphere Bacteria Against Root Rot in Cowpea: Suppression of Mycelial Growth and Conidial Germination.

The cultivation of cowpea (), a vital vegetable crop, faces significant threats from spp.-induced root rot. In this study, three fungal pathogens ( HKFf, HKFi, and HKFo) were isolated from symptomatic cowpea plants, and we screened 90 rhizobacteria from healthy rhizospheres using six culture media.

Humoral Immune Response to Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Populations With and Without Prior COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

To assess the dynamics of humoral immune responses to inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines across populations with and without prior COVID-19 infection, a longitudinal cohort study was conducted. A total of 38 COVID-19-recovered individuals and 165 naïve participants (without prior COVID-19 infection) were enrolled, all of whom completed a two-dose vaccination regimen. Levels of anti-spike (anti-S) and anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) antibodies were analyzed at baseline and post-vaccination time points, including 6 weeks post-first dose, and 1 month and 6 months post-second dose.

33 Unresolved Questions in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Significant advances in science and engineering often emerge at the intersections of disciplines. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are inherently interdisciplinary, uniting researchers from chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering. This convergence has fostered novel ways of thinking and enabled the development of materials, tools, and technologies that have transformed both basic and applied research, as well as how we address critical societal challenges.

Host-Guest Metal Interaction in Cu-In Single Atom Alloy Switching Electrocatalytic CO Reduction Pathway.

The catalytic behavior of alloy electrocatalyst is strongly influenced by host-guest metal interaction, which governs adsorption energy and product selectivity. However, in conventional bimetallic alloy systems, the catalyst composition and the geometric configuration often obscure the identification of critical active sites. Here, we investigate the host-guest metal interaction in Cu-In single atom alloy (SAA) catalysts, demonstrating a remarkable switching of electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR) pathway.

Biased Usage of V/D/J Genes and Clonal Diversity in IgG Repertoires Correlates with Disease Activity and Clinical Features in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

Objective: To examine whether features of the B cell receptor (BCR) IgG repertoire correlate with disease activity and clinical phenotypes in systemic autoimmune diseases (SAIDs).

Methods: High-throughput sequencing was performed on IgG heavy chain repertoires from 138 patients with SAIDs, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), scleroderma (SSc), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), as well as 36 healthy controls (HC). We analyzed V/D/J gene usage, clonal distribution and diversity, CDR3 length distribution and amino acid usage, and the correlation between specific BCR features and clinical features.

Exogenous Fe(II) enhanced iron plaque formation influences the adsorption and immobilization of Cd in rice root.

Background: Iron plaque on the rice rhizoplane could potentially prevent cadmium (Cd) entry into plant roots. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the morphological characteristics and mineral compositions of iron plaque, Cd immobilization mechanism by iron plaque, and its effect on Cd uptake and transport in rice.

Results: Exogenous divalent iron ion (Fe(II)) could induce the formation of deep-red iron plaque on rice rhizoplane, which primarily consisted of ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite, iron phosphate, and iron sulfate compounds.

Towards an Asian paradigm of inflammatory bowel disease management: A comparative review of China and Japan.

This systematic review compares inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management between China and Japan across epidemiology, clinical strategies, health insurance, and social security policies. Epidemiologically, the incidence of IBD is rapidly increasing in China, contributing to a growing disease burden. In contrast, Japan has a stabilized incidence but a rising prevalence, driven by an aging patient population.