Browse Articles

Study on the mechanical characteristics of the stress relaxation in the carbonate rock after high-temperature acidification

Deep learning enabled intelligent robotic system for aeroengine blade surface inspection

High efficacy of an in-house antigen B ELISA for diagnosing human cystic echinococcosis compared with a commercial kit and a cell-free DNA assay

Abstract Cystic echinococcosis (CE) continues to pose a serious zoonotic health risk in endemic areas. Serodiagnosis, while commonly utilized, faces challenges such as antigenic variability and stage-dependent sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an in-house ELISA using the isolated 12-kDa subunit of Antigen B (AgB) from Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto, as well as to compare its performance to that of a commercial ELISA kit and acell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based PCR test. The 12-kDa AgB component was isolated from sheep hydatid cyst fluid and used to create an in-house IgG ELISA. The diagnostic performance was tested using ROC analysis. A total of 51 surgically and CT-confirmed CE patients and 50 healthy controls were included. Plasma cfDNA was collected and amplified using PCR targeting the COX1 gene. Cohen’s kappa and Spearman’s correlation were used to determine agreement. The in-house 12-kDa AgB ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.2%, a specificity of 100%, and an AUC of 0.936. Similarly, the commercial ELISA kit showed a sensitivity of 92.2% and a specificity of 100%. For its part, cfDNA-PCR successfully identified 88.2% of cases and exhibited a specificity of 100%. There was excellent agreement between the in-house and commercial ELISA kits (κ = 0.878) and serological and molecular techniques (κ = 0.78–0.81). The in-house 12-kDa AgB ELISA is a highly reliable and cost-effective diagnostic tool for CE, with performance equivalent to commercial ELISA kits and cfDNA-PCR assays. Future work should prioritize developing standardized recombinant subunits to improve the reliability and accessibility of AgB-based diagnostics in endemic areas. Moreover, direct cyst-tissue DNA warrants evaluation as a more sensitive and stable template for molecular confirmation, potentially overcoming limitations of serological and plasma cfDNA approaches.

Interface-controlled broadband photodetection in Si3N4/n-Si hybrid devices

Abstract In this study, Si 3 N 4 /n-Si hybrid photodiodes with distinct interfacial layer configurations (Si 3 N 4 -1, Si 3 N 4 -2, and Si 3 N 4 -3) were constructed and comprehensively examined to evaluate the influence of interface engineering on their optical performance. Measurements of current–voltage (I–V) under dark and illuminated settings show that the ideality factor (n) declines with increasing illumination intensity. However, the barrier height (Φ B ) shows structure-dependent variation, indicating enhanced carrier transport and interface modulation. To assess device performance under varying light intensities, responsivity (R), photosensitivity (K), noise specific detectivity (D*) and equivalent power (NEP) were determined. The Si 3 N 4 -3/n-Si structure had the highest photosensitivity, while the Si 3 N 4 -2/n-Si device showed superior overall performance with enhanced responsivity, higher detectivity, and lower NEP, indicating an optimal balance between photocarrier generation and transport. Spectral investigation confirmed a broadband response with higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the UV–Vis-NIR region. The linear relationship between log(I ph ) and log(P) features indicates a dominating photoconduction mechanism impacted by trap states within the mobility gap. The results show that precisely controlling the Si 3 N 4 interfacial layer improves photodiode performance by minimizing recombination losses and improving carrier dynamics. These findings show that Si 3 N 4 -based interface engineering is a promising method for producing high-performance, broadband silicon photodetectors for advanced optoelectronic applications.

Sisyphean Task of Cardiovascular Prevention: Real Gains, Unequal Progress

Phone-Based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance for Control of Hypertension After Stroke: A Randomized Multicenter Phase 3 Trial in Ghana

BACKGROUND: Addressing the rising burden of stroke in low-income countries will require pragmatic and scalable interventions targeting major risk factors. Under routine care settings, <10% of adults living with hypertension ever achieve blood pressure control, accentuating risks for adverse vascular events. The effectiveness of mobile health–centered, nurse-led interventions for the control of hypertension among patients with recent stroke in a resource-limited African setting is unknown. METHODS: The PINGS (Phone-Based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance After Stroke II) trial compared the efficacy and safety of usual care versus a 12-month intervention comprising home blood pressure self-monitoring with nurse case management for elevated home blood pressure recordings, use of phone alarms as medication reminders, and once-weekly education about cardiovascular risk reduction delivered by regular telephonic audio messages in selected Ghanaian dialects. This was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded end point evaluation trial conducted at 10 hospitals between October 23, 2020, and April 5, 2024. We enrolled 500 patients ≥18 years with stroke within 1 month of onset and elevated blood pressure ≥140 or ≥90 mm Hg. The primary outcome was systolic blood pressure <140 mm Hg at month 12 by intention-to-treat principle. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events and serious adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 244 participants were assigned to the intervention group (PINGS) and 256 to the usual care group, of whom 43% were women, with mean (SD) age 58 (11) years. Mean change in systolic blood pressure at month 12 from baseline was –5.5 mm Hg (95% CI, –9.6 to –1.4 mm Hg; P =0.008). The primary outcome was achieved in 163 (67%) patients with PINGS versus 109 (43%) in the usual care arm, with a between-group difference of 24% (95% CI, 15%–33%; P <0.001). No significant between-group differences were noted in the secondary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events or the presumed key mediator of medication adherence. Serious adverse events were 27 of 244 (11.1%) with PINGS versus 18 of 256 (7.0%) in usual care ( P =0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Leveraging mobile health intervention with minimal sophistication and task shifting to nurses on top of usual care safely improved blood pressure control among stroke survivors in a low-resource setting. Further study is warranted to confirm these findings and understand outcome drivers. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT04404166.

A Genome-First Study of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Comparing African and European Ancestry Individuals

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder characterized by lifelong elevated LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and increased risk for premature myocardial infarction. FH research has focused on European populations and, consequently, estimates of global FH burden primarily reflect this ancestry, with limited data available from other groups. METHODS: We examined the prevalence and clinical outcomes of FH among 104 300 African ancestry individuals enrolled in 3 US-based cohorts: the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us, Mount Sinai’s BioMe, and Geisinger’s MyCode. Genetic variants were evaluated according to standards provided by the Clinical Genome Resource’s FH Variant Curation Expert Panel and grouped as pathogenic variants or variants of unknown significance (VUSs). Participants were assigned to European and African ancestry groups based on genetic similarity to reference populations. Clinical outcomes were LDL-C and myocardial infarction. Analyses were adjusted for age and sex. Results were meta-analyzed across cohorts. RESULTS: The prevalence of a pathogenic variant was similar in the African (1 in 306) and European (1 in 273) ancestry groups. The LDL-C elevation associated with pathogenic variants was 20.81 mg/dL (95% CI, 16.17–25.45) greater in individuals with African ancestry compared with their counterparts with European ancestry. Individuals with African ancestry had 1.61 (95% CI, 1.42–1.83; P =1.2×10 -12 ) higher odds of having a VUS compared with individuals with European ancestry and a 10.01 mg/dL (95% CI, 6.13–13.88) greater elevation in LDL-C compared with individuals with European ancestry with a VUS. Although pathogenic variants in both ancestries conferred a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction, having a VUS only conferred increased risk among the African ancestry group (odds ratio, 1.91 [95% CI, 1.18–3.10]). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of pathogenic variants did not significantly vary between African and European ancestry groups. VUSs were both more prevalent among individuals of African ancestry and associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction equivalent to that of a pathogenic variant. These findings suggest that dependence on existing resources for variant classification could contribute to underdiagnosis of FH in individuals of African ancestry.

Clinical Guidelines, Market Forces, and Health Disparities

Multidimensional Social Adversity and Mortality in People With HIV Infection and Heart Failure: Insights From NYC Health + Hospitals HIV–Heart Failure Cohort

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is an increasingly common comorbidity among people with HIV infection, complicating care and heightening the vulnerability of this population to social adversity (SA). However, the impact of different SA domains on outcomes in this population remains poorly understood. METHODS: We analyzed data on people with HIV infection and heart failure from the NYC 4H (NYC Health + Hospitals HIV–Heart Failure) cohort. Baseline multidimensional SA was assessed by licensed clinical social workers using standardized evaluations and grouped into 5 domains: economic hardship, health care access barriers, neighborhood or built environment instability, social support challenge, and psychobehavioral instability. We used multivariable adjusted Cox models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause, cardiovascular, and infection-related mortality and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios of 6-month rehospitalization risk. RESULTS: Among 1044 participants (62.9% male; mean age, 61.6 years), 601 (58%) reported at least 1 SA: economic hardship (n=130), limited health care access (n=155), unstable housing (n=129), social support challenge (n=179), or psychobehavioral instability (n=438). Over a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, exposure to any SA was associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR, 4.32 [95% CI, 3.03–6.14]), cardiovascular mortality (HR, 4.05 [95% CI, 2.17–6.83]), and infection-related mortality (HR, 2.37 [95% CI, 1.23–4.56]). Social support challenge (HR, 2.19 [95% CI, 1.35–3.55]) and psychobehavioral instability (HR, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.24–3.11]) were associated with higher cardiovascular mortality. Economic hardship (HR, 2.40 [95% CI, 1.22–4.70]) and social support challenge (HR, 3.09 [95% CI, 1.75–5.48]) were associated with higher infection-related mortality. Compared with patients without SA, those with environmental instability, psychobehavioral instability, or social support challenges had a 73% (adjusted odds ratio, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.15–2.06]), 75% (adjusted odds ratio, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.31–2.35]), and 44% (adjusted odds ratio, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.00-2.06]) higher risk of rehospitalization within 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SA was significantly associated with mortality and rehospitalization among people with HIV infection and heart failure, with domain-specific pathways influencing specific outcomes. Multidimensional assessment of SA may offer a framework for domain-specific risk stratification in people with HIV infection and heart failure.

Disparities in Cardiovascular Medicine: Evidence Is Not Enough, Policy Change Is Essential

The Cardiovascular Cost of Medicaid Cuts Under H.R. 1

Pharmacoequity and the Promise of GLP-1 Therapies in Cardiovascular Disease

Association of Common Ancestry-Enriched Variants With Cardiomyopathy and Arrhythmias

BACKGROUND: Individuals of African ancestry are underrepresented in genetic studies, contributing to disproportionately higher rates of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and fewer actionable results in genetic testing for cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias. We aimed to determine whether ancestry-enriched VUS confer measurable cardiovascular risk among individuals of African ancestry. METHODS: We identified VUS enriched in individuals of African ancestry in 18 cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia genes. We defined enriched as allele frequency in gnomAD ≥2-fold higher than in European (non-Finnish) individuals, and we confined the analysis to VUS with allele frequency >0.05% in individuals of African ancestry. Associations with cardiovascular phenotypes were assessed in 96 897 individuals of African ancestry from the All of Us (n=65 481) and BioVU (n=31 416) biobanks using fixed-effects meta-analysis. Analyses were stratified by heart failure (HF) status and conventional cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: We identified 82 ancestry-enriched VUS. Exploratory analysis in All of Us identified 10 variants associated with composite cardiovascular outcome, 4 of which were associated with individual cardiovascular phenotypes in pooled meta-analysis across both cohorts. PKP2 p.Val558Ile was associated with a 4-fold increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.02 [95% CI, 1.85–8.71]; P =0.004). ELAC2 p.Ile396Val was associated with HF (aOR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.17–2.39]; P =0.02) and atrial arrhythmias (aOR, 1.88 [95% CI, 1.27–2.78]; P =0.02). FLNC p.Gly11Ser and PKP2 p.Val842Ile were associated with HF (aOR, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.24–3.10]; P =0.02 and aOR, 1.99 [95% CI, 1.16–3.41]; P =0.039). The presence of cardiovascular risk factors was associated with earlier onset of HF (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.25–2.33]; P =0.0006) and atrial arrhythmias (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.06–1.29]; P =0.0019) in pooled variant carriers. PKP2 p.Val558Ile, SCN5A p.Gln1832Glu, and FLNC p.Gly11Ser demonstrated increased arrhythmia burden specifically in participants with HF. Using American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, PKP2 p.Val558Ile met criteria for likely pathogenic classification, potentially affecting an estimated 24 000 Black adults in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Large-scale biobank analysis identified variants classified as VUS that conferred increased risk of cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia in individuals with African ancestry. The risk associated with these variants was increased in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and HF.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are associated with higher land, water and nitrogen use, and greenhouse gas emissions

Dietary guidelines form the foundation of federal food policy, informing programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), government food procurement, school meals, and military and hospital food services. The most recent guidelines, released in early 2026, advise avoiding “hyperprocessed” (generally known as ultraprocessed foods, UPFs), while also recommending higher overall protein intake chiefly from animal sources. Here, we quantified the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, freshwater use, land use, and nitrogen fertilizer use of adherence to these new guidelines in comparison to the current Mean American Diet (MAD). We constructed isocaloric diets with varying degrees of added protein intake and protein sources that are similar to current dietary patterns, but with no UPFs as recommended. We find that although eliminating ultraprocessed foods from the MAD could yield substantial environmental benefits—given their large share of total intake and animal-based makeup—the recommended increase in animal-based proteins, will more than offset this environmental dividend in GHG, land use, and nitrogen fertilizer use by as much as 32%, but not in water use (i.e., water use is lower by 7 to 19% than the MAD). Across all environmental metrics measured, favoring plants- over animal-based foods leads to better environmental outcomes. Overall, adherence to the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans would confer net environmental harm across most key metrics relative to the prevailing U.S. diet.

Ancient oaks reveal rewilding of Mediterranean forests after the Black Death

In Italy, evergreen holm oaks ( Quercus ilex ) and deciduous sessile oaks ( Quercus petraea ) experienced a synchronized establishment pulse starting at the beginning of 1400s CE, consistent with a release from anthropogenic pressure following demographic collapse associated with the Black Death outbreak (1347 CE) and its following waves until the 17th century. Radiocarbon dating of the oldest-looking individuals of each species revealed similar tree-age distributions across sites located at the extremes of the forest elevational gradient: Montecristo Island (100 to 500 m a.s.l.) and Aspromonte mountain (1,100 to 1,800 m a.s.l.). Montecristo, with its favorable coastal conditions, showed a pronounced post-1400 CE recruitment peak, while the mountainous Aspromonte region, at harsher high elevations, required a more extended and delayed period of recruitment. The extreme longevity of these two unrelated oak populations is enabled by different functional traits and resilience mechanisms, highlighting an ancient rewilding event spurred by human tragedy.

Electrochemical Selective C ₂ –H Hydroxymethylation of Pyridines via a Zinc Single-Atom Cathode and Anodic Iodide Relay-Mediated Strategy

New climate regime restructures the ecology of Canada’s Northern Great Lakes

Great Bear Lake (GBL), Great Slave Lake (GSL), and Lake Hazen in northern Canada have recently experienced a shift in fundamental aquatic ecosystem processes associated with accelerated Arctic warming. Multiple high-resolution, 210 Pb-dated sediment records (GBL: Smith, Keith, McVicar arms, GSL: West Basin, Lake Hazen: Blister, Main sites) registered remarkably similar restructuring of algal community composition over the past few decades in all lakes. A rapid proliferation of small euplanktonic diatoms at the turn of the 21st century displaced benthic (GBL, Lake Hazen) and large filamentous (GSL) taxa that dominated the diatom assemblages since the mid-to-late 1800s. An increase in the number of ice-free days, a rise in regional air temperature, and a decline in wind speed primed the lakes for new physical and thermal regimes that facilitated a shift to greater whole lake primary production and favored small obligate planktonic diatoms. Historical records from surveys undertaken on the lakes between the 1940s and 1970s substantiated our paleolimnological findings that these lakes were relatively stable limnologically since at least the past century and have only recently transitioned to new thermal states. As primary producers fuel the entire food web, this rapid algal community restructuring serves as a cautionary signal of major ecosystem changes. The characteristic thermal inertia and resilience of Canada’s “Northern Great Lakes” is rapidly eroding, with implications for native fish populations that Indigenous and other northern communities rely on.

Enhanced global storm surges by tropical cyclone poleward migration

Tropical cyclone–induced storm surges pose significant and growing threats to coastal regions; however, their long-term evolution in response to changing tropical cyclone characteristics remains poorly quantified. Here, by conducting a comprehensive global analysis, we find that tropical cyclone–induced storm surge has increased globally by 20% over the period 1982–2024, which is also statistically significant in both hemispheres. Notably, such increases are 28% over the western North Pacific, 38.2% over the eastern Pacific and 31% over the South Pacific, respectively. Through statistical decomposition, we identify the poleward migration of tropical cyclone activity as a key factor amplifying the storm surge in both hemispheres. Furthermore, the intensification of major tropical cyclones and increasing sizes of weak tropical cyclones also play important roles in enhancing storm surges across multiple basins. These changes in tropical cyclone activity, particularly the poleward migration, are largely related to human-induced global warming, underscoring the intrinsic link between tropical cyclone characteristics and associated surge risk under a changing climate. Our findings highlight the necessity of explicitly incorporating the evolving tropical cyclone activity into climate projections and provide a critical framework for assessing compound coastal flood risks in a warming world.

Female dolphins use individual vocal labels to track coercive males

Animals rely on identity signaling to navigate social relationships, assess potential mates, and avoid costly interactions. While species- and group-level recognition signals can provide fitness advantages by preventing inbreeding depression and hybridization, our understanding of the role that individual identity signals can play in mate choice is notably lacking. In species with coercive mating systems, females must carefully evaluate male behavior to minimize risks while also maximizing reproductive success, yet the mechanisms that enable them to monitor and respond to male behavior remain poorly understood. Male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins form multilevel alliances to compete for access to reproductive females, with important consequences for how females negotiate their relationships with males. In this study, we investigated how females assess males by conducting 34 sound playbacks to 17 females and using drone-mounted video to analyze their behavioral responses to individual male identity signals. We combined these experiments with long-term behavioral data to examine how female reproductive state, sociability, and interaction history shaped their responses. Females who were reproductively available showed a significantly stronger aversive response to the identity signals of males who coerced females at higher rates, suggesting that females track male behavior across time and use individual vocal labels to guide reproductive decision-making based on their experience of individual male behavior. This capacity suggests that females integrate social knowledge about individual males to strategically manage intersexual relationships and mate choice.

Selective interaction of SMCHD1 with chromatin is governed by LRIF1 and SMCHD1 ATPase activity

Abstract The chromosomal protein SMCHD1 is a GHKL ATPase with important roles in epigenetic silencing, including on the inactive X chromosome (Xi). Mutations of SMCHD1 have been linked to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Bosma arrhinia microphthalmia syndrome (BAMS). Here, we use live-cell and single-molecule imaging to investigate SMCHD1 interactions with chromatin and its function in epigenetic silencing. We show that chromatin binding of SMCHD1 genome-wide, including on the Xi, is critically dependent on the protein LRIF1 that mediates interaction with H3K9me2/3-modified nucleosomes. Engineered mutations in the GHKL ATPase domain demonstrate that ATP hydrolysis is required for selective enrichment of SMCHD1 at specific chromatin regions, which is critical for X-linked gene silencing. Conversely, gain-of-function BAMS-associated mutations are linked to accelerated Xi recruitment and gene silencing, or increased Xi compaction. Together, our findings advance understanding of SMCHD1 recruitment and function on the Xi and at other target sites in the genome.