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Porous bioactive glass-based scaffolds containing CRT glass and hydroxyapatite: morphological and structural analysis (Part I)

Author Correction: US oil and gas system emissions from nearly one million aerial site measurements

Quality, reliability, and engagement of COPD-related videos on Chinese short-form video platforms: a cross-sectional content analysis

Abstract Short-form video platforms are increasingly used to obtain information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the quality and reliability of COPD-related content across Chinese platforms remain unclear. We evaluated 228 COPD-related videos from Douyin, Kwai, and Bilibili using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, Global Quality Scale, modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool. Video characteristics, creator identity, verification status, content theme, presentation format, and visible engagement metrics were also analyzed. Video quality differed significantly across platforms. Douyin showed the highest transparency, reliability, and overall quality scores. Kwai showed the highest visible engagement but had lower overall quality and actionability scores. Bilibili had the longest videos and the highest understandability scores. Organization verified accounts generally achieved higher quality scores than individual verified or unverified accounts, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously because of the small number of such accounts. Visible engagement metrics, including likes, comments, saves, and shares, were not significantly correlated with medical quality scores. Together, these findings suggest that visible popularity is a poor proxy for medical quality. COPD-related digital health communication may benefit from more accessible evidence-based content, clearer source identification, and closer oversight of high-risk therapeutic claims.

Multitargeted comparative evaluation suggests 2-Aoeobenoxmide shows favourable in silico binding compared to Tucatinib against ERα, HER2, AKT1, EGFR, and PIK3CA in breast cancer

A robust machine learning framework for detecting temporal drift in financial fraud prevention

Legget-Garg inequality for a quantum model of ion channels

Abstract Temporal quantum correlations, revealed by violations of the Leggett–Garg inequalities (LGIs), offer a powerful framework to probe nonclassical dynamics in conceptual models, including those inspired by the living systems. Here, we examine a three-state representation of ionic transport through the selectivity filter, previously presented by Seifi et al. Using this model, we systematically investigate how different scenarios, such as initial state preparation, the specification of measurement basis, hopping dynamics, and environmental fluctuations, affect the emergence of temporal nonclassicality. The choice of measurement basis is found to play a decisive role in shaping temporal quantum correlations. Our analysis reveals that the strongest LGI violations occur for intermediate model configurations, which represent a short-lived state where a potassium ion is poised for release while still coupled to surrounding water sites, whereas entry and exit configurations exhibit weaker quantum signatures. Static fluctuations of the hopping parameters confine LGI violations to shorter time windows, while dynamic decoherence suppresses them irrespective of the hopping amplitude. Overall, our findings demonstrate that LGI-based analyses can identify stages where temporal quantum correlations are most significant, highlighting the intermediate knock-on configuration as a promising target for future studies of intrinsically quantum effects in ion-conduction phenomena.

Scalable fabrication of COF membranes for aliphatic/aromatic separation of crude oil

Distillation has been the cornerstone of crude oil refining for more than a century, relying on boiling point differences for fractionation. Although effective, it is highly energy-intensive and lacks the precision to separate specific hydrocarbon classes. We report crystalline covalent organic framework (COF) membranes with well-defined micropores and alkyl-functionalized frameworks that combine molecular sieving with preferential affinity to enrich aliphatics. An electric field–assisted roll-to-roll process enabled scalable fabrication of continuous membranes. These COF membranes enriched aliphatics to >95% and delivered permeance orders of magnitude higher than amorphous polymers in Arabian Light crude oil. A crude oil permeance of 0.34 liters m −2 hours −1 bar −1 with >90% aliphatics enrichment was achieved using industrial-standard 1812 membrane modules, demonstrating a lower energy demand than distillation.

Tailoring mechanical and thermal behavior of HDPE via Ba–Sr–Ca hexaferrite incorporation

Abstract Using mechanical ball milling at filler loadings of 5–20 wt%, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites reinforced with BaSrCa hexaferrite nanoparticles were created, and their structural, mechanical, and thermal performance was thoroughly examined. The M-type hexaferrite phase was successfully incorporated into the HDPE matrix, as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, and the composite crystallite size gradually decreased from 59.31 nm (5 wt%) to 50.38 nm (20 wt%). Effective filler integration was confirmed by Rietveld refinement, which showed a gradual increase in the BaSrCa volume percentage from 4.89% to 19.25% while the HDPE fraction fell proportionally. HDPE lattice characteristics (a: 7.418 → 7.410 Å, b: 4.940 → 4.933 Å, and c: 2.485 → 2.475 Å) show slight contractions that suggest interfacial stress and limited polymer chain mobility. As the filler content increased, mechanical testing showed a noticeable stiffening impact. Young’s modulus rose from 144.35 MPa for pure HDPE to 191.35 MPa at 20 wt% BaSrCa (5 mm/min) and 239.04 MPa at 20 mm/min. While yield stress increased significantly from 16.48 MPa to 25.37 MPa, ultimate tensile strength showed a slight improvement from 24.44 MPa to 27.33 MPa. On the other hand, strain at break dropped dramatically from 536% to about 70%, indicating lower ductility because of filler-induced constraint. At greater BaSrCa concentrations, the thermal study revealed improved stability with a delayed commencement of deterioration and a higher residual mass. Overall, the findings show that BaSrCa nanoferrites considerably improve HDPE’s strength, stiffness, and thermal stability at the expense of ductility. These composites are promising options for lightweight structural, electromagnetic, and heat-resistant applications because an ideal filler range of 10–15 wt% is found, providing a balanced combination of mechanical reinforcement and structural integrity.

Induction of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies by a two-step mechanism informs vaccine design

A major obstacle confronting HIV-1 vaccine and cure research is the lack of an outbred animal model for rapid and consistent induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). We designed an epitope-focused simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV.5MUT) that elicited broad and potent V3-glycan–targeted antibodies within a year of infection in 14 of 22 macaques compared with 0 of 14 control animals. SHIV.5MUT elicited bNAbs by a two-step mechanism, inducing an initial wave of V1-directed antibodies that selected for envelope (Env) glycoprotein variants with shortened, hypoglycosylated V1 loops, which in turn primed V3-glycan bNAb precursors. Rhesus bNAbs were immunogenetically and structurally diverse, closely resembling human V3-glycan bNAbs. Env-bNAb coevolution revealed a diverse repertoire of bNAb precursors and the Env variants that matured them, yielding a molecular blueprint for vaccine design.

An algorithm for optimizing psychological regulation strategies for college students based on image recognition and reinforcement learning

El Niño is here. It may be the strongest this century

After clearing a spring forecasting hurdle, scientists see growing odds of a powerful climate event that could disrupt weather worldwide

Development of eco-friendly HPC using advanced hybrid multi-scale basalt fibers and ground mining materials

Inheriting trauma, rethinking science

Pupil- and gaze dynamics track emotion content in naturalistic speech

Abstract Cortical tracking of speech features is a well-established marker of continuous speech processing, but far less is known about listeners’ ocular responses to speech rhythm. Ocular responses are central to active sensing models in the auditory domain, where motor recruitment guides temporal speech prediction and attention allocation, potentially shaped by non-rhythmic cues, such as emotions. Here, we ask whether listeners’ pupil response and eye movements track the acoustic speech signals and to what extent this tracking is modulated by emotion-related top-down factors, including subjective emotion ratings, mood, and trait empathy. In a validation study ( N = 100), participants passively listened to two TED talks and intermittently rated speech segments on valence (negative–positive) and arousal (low–high). This suggested substantial variability in valence and arousal across speech segments in both talks. In the second study ( N = 41), participants completed the same task while pupillometry and electrooculography (EOG) were recorded. Mutual information was used to quantify speech tracking in pupil dilation, along with horizontal and vertical eye movements. All ocular signals significantly tracked speech at low frequencies. High-arousal speech was associated with stronger pupil tracking but weaker vertical and horizontal EOG tracking. Negative speech valence was linked to stronger tracking in pupil and vertical eye-movement signals. Interactions between the speech-emotion dimensions, as well as their interactions with listeners’ mood, further shaped these effects, giving rise to distinct patterns across ocular measures. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that ocular activity dynamically aligns to the temporal structure of natural speech and that this tracking is sensitive to both stimulus-driven and listener-dependent emotional factors.

Violet seed propulsion inspires robot design

Comparative analysis of seed biomechanics reveals principles that can guide soft robot technology

Patterns of viral prevalence and load show independent circulation of some honey bee viruses in wild bees

Big Ebola outbreak puts research spotlight on little-known virus

The Bundibugyo virus only emerged twice before. Now, scientists see a chance to get to know it better

Correction: Performance-driven switched reluctance motor drive using multiport cascaded converter and advanced direct torque control scheme

Author Correction: Hidden states and dynamics of fractional fillings in twisted MoTe2 bilayers

Protein-templated synthesis of dinucleotide repeat DNA by an antiphage reverse transcriptase

Defense-associated reverse transcriptases (DRTs) are widespread bacterial antiphage systems that use unconventional mechanisms of polynucleotide synthesis. We show that DRT3, which comprises two distinct RTs (Drt3a and Drt3b) and a noncoding RNA (ncRNA), synthesizes alternating poly(GT/AC) double-stranded DNA. Cryo–electron microscopy structures at 2.6-angstrom resolution reveal a D3-symmetric 6:6:6 complex of Drt3a, Drt3b, and ncRNA. Drt3a produces the poly(GT) strand using a conserved ACACAC template within the ncRNA. Notably, Drt3b synthesizes a complementary, protein-primed poly(AC) strand in the complete absence of a nucleic acid template, using conserved active site residues specific to Drt3b to enforce precise base alternation. These findings expand the functional landscape of nucleic acid polymerases, revealing a protein-templated mechanism for sequence-specific DNA synthesis.