Browse Articles

Cryogenic nanoscale visualization of intrinsic magnesium deposition in magnesium metal batteries

Can speed cameras make streets safer? Quasi-experimental evidence from New York City

Each year, approximately 40,000 people die in vehicle collisions in the United States, generating $340 billion in economic costs. To make roads safer without expanding police contact, many cities have turned to automated traffic enforcement, cameras that detect and fine speeding motorists. Does automated enforcement reduce vehicle collisions and injuries? Many previous studies are limited to correlational evidence. By contrast, this study estimates the causal effect of automated enforcement on road safety in a difference-in-differences design. We exploit the staggered rollout of 2,000 speed cameras across New York City between 2014 and 2023, combining data on 700,000 collisions and 200,000 injuries with data on 18 million tickets issued. We find that cameras reduce collisions and injuries by 5 and 2.5% per month on average, respectively. Cumulatively, over the seven months following their introduction, collisions declined by 30% and injuries by 16%.

Event-related potential responses of ex-combatants and war victims differ for bias stimuli

Abstract Antagonistic social identities are reflected in neurophysiological responses to implicit bias, yet empirical validation in real-life post-conflict contexts remains scarce. This cross-sectional study assessed neurocognitive responses to bias-related stimuli among 76 Colombian participants, including both victims and ex-combatants of the armed conflict. Using an Implicit Association Test combined with EEG recording and cluster-based permutation analysis, we examined group differences in event-related potentials. Results revealed differential activation patterns: a language-related N400 and an emotion-related Late Positive Potential (LPP), both showing distinct latencies and amplitudes between groups. Particularly, victims exhibited stronger LPP modulation and delayed mid-to-late components, suggesting heightened emotional processing and increased cognitive load in evaluating bias-laden content. These findings highlight how lived experiences of victimization—not merely exposure to violence—shape neurophysiological processing of intergroup bias. Our results underscore the relevance of implicit cognitive markers for informing psychosocial interventions in transitional justice and reconciliation settings.

Sources of essential lipids for Mycoplasma pneumoniae via P116 to target liver and atherosclerotic lesions

Restoring fertility with a lipid nanoparticle–mRNA platform: A new era in male germline therapy

Exploring the association between the lineages of human papillomavirus type 16 and viral physical status in the development of cervical cancer in Iran

A broadly neutralizing antibody confers cross-genus protection against alphaherpesviruses by inhibiting gB-mediated membrane fusion

Mathematical artifacts in slope–intercept correlations invalidate biological inferences in aging research

Adenosine in human atrial fibrillation modulates and re-distributes atria-wide dominant frequencies and directs to reentry ablation sites with improved outcome

A pooled Cell Painting CRISPR screening platform enables de novo inference of gene function by self-supervised deep learning

A robust deep learning approach for rock discontinuity identification from large scale 3D point clouds

Administrative-driven hierarchical management of atrial fibrillation on cardiovascular events: a prospective matched cohort study

Abstract The administrative-driven hierarchical management (ADHM) refers to the management model that general practitioners act as “voluntary gatekeepers” under local government policy incentives in the non-mandatory hierarchical medical system. However, the impact of ADHM of atrial fibrillation (AF) on cardiovascular events remains unclear. We enrolled 1455 patients with AF in the ADHM cohort and 7275 in the matched usual care (UC) cohort in Shanghai, China. During the 30 months follow-up, the rate of the primary outcome (the composite of ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, major bleeding, acute heart failure and cardiovascular death) was significantly lower in the ADHM cohort than the UC cohort (hazard ratio: 0.624; 95% confidence interval=0.554-0.703; p < 0.0001). Comparisons of the secondary endpoints, including all-cause death, cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke, and acute heart failure, also favored the ADHM cohort, while non-cardiovascular death, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, and major bleeding were similar between cohorts. The medical costs per patient per survival day were lower in the ADHM cohort. In sum, the ADHM model is effective in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with AF. Trial number: ChiCTR2000036931

Galectin-related protein, a key contributor, drives diabetes-associated neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain associated with central sensitization is common in diabetic patients, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, a proteomics screen identified a previously uncharacterized protein, galectin-related protein (LGALSL), which was significantly upregulated in cerebrospinal fluid and extracellular fluid of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in diabetes-related neuropathic pain (DNP) model rats. Exogenous LGALSL administration reduced mechanical nociceptive thresholds by activating glutamatergic neurons in the ACC (ACC Glu ). Chemogenetic manipulations and functional assays revealed that neuron-derived LGALSL directly binds to vimentin on ACC astrocytes, activating those astrocytes. These activated astrocytes subsequently maintain ACC Glu hypersensitivity, driving mechanical hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Blocking LGALSL–vimentin interactions with a synthetic peptide alleviated LGALSL-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. This study establishes LGALSL-dependent astrocyte-mediated hyperactivation of ACC Glu neurons as a new pathological mechanism of neuropathic pain in diabetes.

Clean energy, environmental policy and energy justice as drivers of sustainable development in OECD countries

Decreased scleral Wnt5ahi fibroblasts exacerbate myopia progression by disrupting extracellular matrix homeostasis in mice

The subcellular architecture of <i>Paratrypanosoma confusum</i> revealed by CryoET: A window into early trypanosome evolution

The trypanosomatid Paratrypanosoma confusum represents a key evolutionary link between free-living bodonids and parasitic trypanosomes, yet its cellular architecture remains poorly characterized. Here, we used cryofocused ion beam scanning electron microscopy to prepare lamellae for cryoelectron tomography, enabling nanometer-scale imaging of its ultrastructure in near-native conditions. Our analysis revealed structures never before described in trypanosomatids, including an elaborate cytoskeletal network surrounding the flagellar pocket (FP), desmosome-like connections linking the FP membrane to the flagellum, and a cytopharyngeal-like invagination arising from the pocket. Luminal particles inside the FP were reconstructed in 3D, providing insight into their organization and potential role. The contractile vacuole complex was characterized by two bladders with distinct surface protein coats. Organelles of the biosynthetic and secretory pathways were also resolved, including the Golgi complex, ER exit sites, multivesicular bodies, and a novel multivesicular tubule. We also identified large, autophagosome-like organelles containing intraluminal vesicles and hemifused vesicles, structurally resembling hemifusomes recently described in mammalian cells. These structures, along with periodic striations observed in lipid-rich compartments, suggest conserved mechanisms of vesicle biogenesis. Finally, we describe the nuclear architecture, including well-preserved nuclear pores with defined subcomplexes, chromatin fibers resembling nucleosome arrays, and putative nuclear envelope–chromatin linkages. Together, these findings highlight the cellular complexity of P. confusum , providing insights into the evolution of cellular architecture within trypanosomatids and underscoring the potential of this organism as a model for high-resolution structural studies.

RF model and SNA analysis for optimization of regional financial supervision system

An unbiased comparison of 14 epigenetic clocks in relation to 174 incident disease outcomes

Abstract Epigenetic Clocks have been trained to predict chronological age, healthspan and lifespan. Such clocks are often analysed in relation to disease outcomes – typically using small datasets and a limited number of clocks. Here, we present a large-scale ( n  = 18,859), unbiased comparison of 14 widely used clocks as predictors of 174 incident disease outcomes and all-cause mortality over 10-years of follow up. Second- and third-generation clocks significantly outperform first-generation clocks, which have limited applications in disease settings. Of the 176 Bonferroni significant (P &lt; 0.05/174) associations from fully-adjusted Cox regression models controlling for lifestyle and socioeconomic measures, there are 27 diseases (including primary lung cancer and diabetes) where the hazard ratio for the clock exceeds the clock’s association with all-cause mortality. Furthermore, for 32 of the 176 findings, adding the clock to a null classification model with traditional risk factors significantly increases the classification accuracy by &gt;1%. However, there is minimal evidence for interactions between the clocks and sex or smoking (ever/never) status. Second- and third-generation epigenetic clocks show promise for disease risk prediction, particularly in relation to respiratory and liver-based conditions.

Microbial driver of 2006–2023 CH ₄ growth indicated by trends in atmospheric δD–CH ₄ and δ ¹³ C–CH ₄

Methane (CH 4 ) is the second most important greenhouse gas and has been rising following a brief period of stabilization from 1999 to 2006. Determining the cause of this rise is critical for reducing emissions and predicting future climate sensitivity. The carbon and hydrogen stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH 4 is controlled by variability in isotopically distinguishable emission categories and fractionating sink processes. While most studies using atmospheric δ 13 C–CH 4 data suggest a dominantly microbial source for recent CH 4 growth, this understanding is not uniform, and uncertainties remain [S. Schwietzke et al. , Nature 538 , 88–91 (2016), S. Basu et al. , Atmos. Chem. Phys. 22 , 15351–15377 (2022), J. Thanwerdas, M. Saunois, A. Berchet, I. Pison, P. Bousquet, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 24 , 2129–2167 (2024)]. Here, we present a harmonized global measurement record of atmospheric δD–CH 4 and estimate emissions from 1999 to 2022 with global isotope mass balance calculations using both carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios. We conduct thorough uncertainty analyses to separate absolute magnitude and emission trend uncertainties and find with high confidence that trends in δ 13 C–CH 4 and δD–CH 4 observations are both consistent with an entirely microbial emission driver of the post-2006 CH 4 rise, while fossil fuel emissions have remained relatively stable.

Outcomes of septic shock from urinary and non-urinary sources in nonagenarians and centenarians admitted to intensive care units