Browse Articles

Caerin 1.1 and 1.9 inhibit glioblastoma growth associated with modulation of the ARHGAP26-β-catenin axis and enhancing intratumoral CD8+ T cell infiltration

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with limited effective treatment options and poor patient outcomes. This study investigates the antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms of of host defense peptides caerin 1.1 (F1) and caerin 1.9 (F3) in glioblastoma models. F1/F3 treatment inhibited the proliferation of U87 cells and was associated with increased expression of ARHGAP26, suppression of β-catenin signaling pathway, and reduced the expression of downstream targets including MMP2, MMP7, and VEGFA. Cell death is primarily induced through apoptosis-related pathways, while pyroptosis-related and PI3K-related signaling showed more limited alterations. Notably, in immunodeficient NSG mice, F1/F3 altered the tumor immune microenvironment by promoting macrophage infiltration and M1-like polarization but did not significantly inhibit tumor growth. In contrast, in PBMC-humanized NSG mice, F1/F3 significantly suppressed U87 tumor growth and was associated with increased infiltration of macrophages and CD8 + T cells, together with reduced PD-L1 expression. These findings demonstrate that F1/F3 exerts both direct anti-tumor effects and immune-modulatory activities in glioblastoma models. The results support further investigation of caerin peptides as potential immunomodulatory therapeutics for glioblastoma.

High-dimensional immune profiling reveals NK cell dysregulation and neutrophil polarization after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in delayed cerebral ischemia

Asymmetric temperature responses to soil moisture drought legacies under anthropogenic forcing

Household income and academic performance in Korean adolescents: A longitudinal test of dual investment pathways

Building on the Family Investment Model (FIM), the present study examined how household income shapes adolescents’ academic performance through material and relational investments within the Korean educational context. Drawing on three waves of data from the nationally representative Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 (N = 2,387), we estimated a longitudinal parallel mediation model that accounted for baseline levels of each construct and demographic covariates. Results indicated that household income predicted higher private educational expenditure but was not associated with parent–child communication. Indirect effects revealed that household income influenced academic performance through material investment in private education, whereas the relational pathway was not significant. However, the difference between the two indirect pathways did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that private educational expenditure may represent one important pathway linking family economic resources to adolescents’ perceived academic performance in the Korean educational context. These findings underscore how household economic resources are differentially converted into educational advantages through family investment processes, highlighting implications for understanding income-based educational stratification in highly competitive educational contexts.

Tunable Tamm plasmon polaritons in the terahertz range using highly doped InSb as the plasmonic layer

Realization of the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro rule in a single memristor

Beyond the freedom to refuse patient: A retrospective comparative study of emergency transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

Emergency department overcrowding and ambulance diversion are significant problems worldwide and have become more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, the Dedicated Emergency Physician (DEP) model has been associated with reduced transport time. However, whether this benefit persists during the pandemic remains unclear. This study analyzed the changes in transport outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japanese regions with and without DEP hospitals to evaluate the effectiveness of the DEP model and identify factors that could improve transport outcomes. Using nationwide data from January 2015 to December 2021, three target areas were analyzed: Urayasu-Ichikawa (DEP Group 1), Shonan-Fujisawa (DEP Group 2), and Ichinomiya-Toyota (Non-DEP Group 3). DEP Groups 1 and 2 contained DEP hospitals, while Non-DEP Group 3 was selected for its comparable population size and strong pre-pandemic transport performance. To minimize the impact of regional variations in COVID-19 prevalence, this study compared the changes in transportation outcomes before and after the pandemic between the target areas and nearby comparison areas. In total, there were 150,856 transports in Group 1; 186,965 in Group 2; and 516,655 in Group 3. In the target areas of Groups 2 and 3, transport time changes were significantly shorter by 2.016 and 0.606 min, respectively, compared to the comparison areas. Moreover, these areas had significantly lower odds of transportation difficulty (Group 2: odds ratio 0.131, 95% confidence interval 0.110–0.157; Group 3: OR 0.086, 95% CI 0.066–0.112). It was found that the common characteristics of these areas were densely located large-scale hospitals and makeshift buildings for patients with COVID-19, adjacent to large-scale hospitals. These findings suggest that DEP hospitals alone did not guarantee favorable transport outcomes during the pandemic. A sufficient number of large-scale hospitals and nearby temporary facilities may be crucial for maintaining effective emergency transportation during a pandemic.

Postpartum perspectives on navigating hypertensive diseases of pregnancy: a qualitative study

Author Correction: mRNA vaccine developed for sequential selective organ-to-cell targeting of glioma

Leveraging social media to mitigate HPV vaccine service disruptions in Abuja, Nigeria

Introduction Market priming strategies use communication to prepare target audiences for service uptake when services become available. In 2025, a health worker strike in Abuja, Nigeria resulted in the suspension of HPV vaccination services for approximately four months. Services were temporarily restored for five days (July 16–20, 2025) during a Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) week. This study assessed whether caregiver recall of a digital market priming campaign was associated with HPV vaccine uptake during this brief service resumption. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional exit survey of 271 caregivers of adolescent girls aged 9–17 years attending vaccination sites during MNCH week. The survey collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, Facebook use, recall of HPV vaccine advertising on Facebook or Instagram, and caregiver-reported adolescent vaccination status. Survey findings were triangulated with administrative data on the number of HPV vaccinations delivered during the MNCH week. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. A two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) model was used as a sensitivity analysis to assess potential bias from unobserved confounding related to social media use. Ward-level regression analyses using administrative data compared vaccinations delivered in wards targeted by the digital campaign with those in non-targeted wards. Results Overall, 33.6% of caregivers recalled HPV vaccine advertising on Facebook or Instagram, and 64.2% reported that their adolescent had received the HPV vaccine. Message recall was associated with higher odds of caregiver-reported vaccination (adjusted odds ratio = 3.36; 95% CI: 2.75–4.11). Model-predicted marginal effects indicated a 23.3 percentage-point difference in reported vaccination probability between caregivers who did and did not recall messages, corresponding to an estimated 7.9 percentage-point difference in vaccination prevalence when applied to the caregiver population attending vaccination services. The 2SRI analysis found no evidence of endogeneity (p = 0.736). Administrative data were consistent with survey findings, suggesting an approximately 3 percentage-point higher vaccination coverage in wards targeted by the digital campaign compared with control wards during MNCH week. Conclusions Caregiver recall of a digital market priming campaign was associated with higher HPV vaccination uptake during a short-term resumption of services following a prolonged disruption. These findings suggest that insights-informed, subnational digital priming strategies—when combined with complementary offline approaches to ensure equitable reach—may help maintain caregiver readiness and support HPV vaccine delivery during periods of service instability.

Decoding biological aging in Sparus aurata through a gene toolbox to infer welfare assessment and precision aquaculture interventions

Abstract Biological age (BA) has emerged as a promising integrative indicator of physiological state and welfare, but its use within aquaculture remains underdeveloped. Previous genome-wide analysis in gilthead sea bream revealed skeletal muscle markers with inverse age-related expression and methylation patterns. Specifically, psmd2 , ramp1 , sirt1 and smad1 were up-regulated and hypomethylated with age, while atp1a2 , bmp1 , calcrl , col5a1 , spred2 and thrb exhibited down-regulation coupled with hypermethylation. Here we assessed the responsiveness of this gene set across multiple aquaculture-relevant challenges using a real-time PCR array. Environmental stressors (e.g. increased temperature and high stocking density with low O 2 concentration) induced transcriptional profiles resembling muscle gene-expression patterns of older individuals. Conversely, cold exposure and nutritional interventions, including restricted feeding and feed supplementation with bioactive protein hydrolysates, microalgae meal with a PUFA-rich lipid source, or fat emulsifiers promoted signatures aligned with those observed in younger animals. Although the direct reversal of stress-induced aging signatures was not tested, results indicate that dietary interventions elicit opposing transcriptional patterns, highlighting potential strategies to mitigate environmentally mediated aquaculture stress through targeted nutrition. These findings provide preliminary evidence of a potential relationship between BA and aquaculture stressors in farmed fish, underpinning a genomics-based framework for welfare assessment and adaptive management.

Hadean bridgmanite in the source of a present-day ocean island

Abstract Constraining the complex dynamics of the inner Earth unites research efforts across several scientific disciplines, including geochemistry, geophysics and geodynamics. Seismological and geodynamic studies offer insights into the present state of the mantle structure, whereas geochemical approaches characterize its chemical and isotopic heterogeneities 1 , shedding light on the complexity of its evolution. One key challenge is determining the age and origin of its chemical heterogeneities. Here we present new high-precision Nd isotopic measurements in present-day volcanism that identify heterogeneities dating back to the Earth’s earliest history. We report significantly positive 142 Nd anomalies in lavas from the submarine Fani Maoré volcano in the Comoros archipelago. These anomalies require the preservation, in the mantle, of material depleted in light rare-earth elements (REE) and formed within the first 100 million years (Myr) of Earth’s history. We suggest that this material is mainly composed of bridgmanite that crystallized from an early Earth magma ocean. This Hadean bridgmanite may be more widespread in the present-day mantle than previously expected, raising new questions about its survival over billions of years of plate tectonics and vigorous mantle convection.

Eight-qubit operation of a 300 mm SiMOS foundry-fabricated device

Molecular mechanisms of autophagy disorder in diabetic neuropathy: Focusing on signaling pathways and regulation of lipid metabolism

Diabetic neuropathy, a prevalent and debilitating complication of diabetes mellitus, is characterized by progressive neuronal dysfunction. This study investigates the role of autophagy dysregulation in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy and explores potential therapeutic interventions. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrate that chronic hyperglycemia leads to impaired autophagic flux in neurons, evidenced by decreased LC3I/II ratio and increased p62 accumulation. This autophagy dysfunction is associated with alterations in key signaling pathways, including mTOR activation and AMPK inhibition. Transcriptomic analysis reveals dysregulation of autophagy-related transcription factors, notably TFEB, FOXO3, and NRF2. We identify a novel bidirectional relationship between autophagy impairment and lipid metabolism dysregulation, suggesting a potential vicious cycle contributing to neuronal dysfunction. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic neuropathy and highlight promising avenues for therapeutic intervention, potentially leading to improved management strategies for this challenging complication.

Deep learning integration of initial abdominal radiography and early clinical information for predicting hospitalization of patients with abdominal symptoms

Proteome-scale quantification of the interactions driving condensate formation of intrinsically disordered proteins

Development of Standards for Presenting and Reporting clinical InterveNtions Televisually (SPRINT) reporting guidelines: A study protocol

Background Videos of clinical intervention (VoCI) demonstrate medical and surgical approaches, including laparoscopy and robotics, endoscopy and interventional techniques. VoCI allow viewers to easily understand the steps of a specific procedure, enhancing clinical training through the acquisition of key perceptual and cognitive skills. However, there can be heterogeneity in video reporting, leading to the omission of critical procedural steps and suboptimal visual quality. This protocol describes the development of Standards for Presenting and Reporting clinical InterveNtions Televisually (SPRINT) guidelines through a Delphi process, which will provide a set of minimum items that should be reported by clinicians when uploading VoCI to improve their consistency and completeness. Methods and analysis The development of SPRINT reporting guidelines will follow five key steps. In step 1, a Steering Committee has been established to lead and coordinate the consensus development process. In step 2, a scoping review of current VoCI has been performed to generate preliminary checklist items. In step 3, a diverse international panel of clinical experts, trainees, educationalists, media platform providers and patient representatives will participate in a Delphi process, seeking ≥ 70% agreement on checklist items. In step 4, the SPRINT reporting guidelines will be finalised, along with an explanation and elaboration (E&E) document. In step 5, the guidelines will be broadly disseminated to ensure effective implementation. Registration details The project is pre-registered within the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/an2jt/ ) and the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network.

HMGB1 is associated with atrial fibrillation and prognosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Fractal hierarchy enables exponential scaling of topological boundary states

The heat exposure, aging trajectories, and Alzheimer’s disease (HEAT-AD) study protocol

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are areas of elevated surface temperature caused by limited vegetation and dense development. Extreme heat disproportionately affects older adults and may increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), but few studies have examined whether cumulative neighborhood-level heat exposure is associated with cognitive decline or ADRD biomarkers. This study will investigate whether recent UHI exposure is associated with cognitive function; determine whether cumulative UHI exposure is associated with cognitive decline, plasma ADRD biomarkers, and brain imaging biomarkers; and evaluate whether UHI exposure is associated with ADRD risk factors, including physical inactivity, social isolation, and inflammation, and whether tree canopy mitigates heat-ADRD associations. The study includes 500 adults aged ≥50 years from the Healthy Brain Initiative cohort in South Florida. Geocoded residential addresses will be linked to satellite-derived land surface temperature data to quantify recent exposure at the baseline cognitive visit and cumulative exposure during the month before, and 1 and 5 years before baseline. Participants complete annual clinical and neuropsychological assessments, brain MRI, and blood collection for ADRD biomarkers. A sub-sample of 200 participants will wear smartwatches during two 3-week periods to capture GPS-based heat exposure, physical activity, and daily cognitive testing. Analyses will be replicated using the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Primary outcomes include cognitive domain scores, brain imaging measures, and preclinical AD status determined from plasma biomarkers. This study will provide comprehensive data on cumulative UHI exposure and ADRD risk by integrating cognitive assessment, neuroimaging, and biomarkers. Findings will clarify whether neighborhood heat represents a modifiable ADRD risk factor and inform urban greening and brain health promotion strategies.