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The diagnosis of hymenoptera venom allergy can be particularly challenging, with the clinical history serving as a fundamental tool to guide the identification of the culprit insect. However, patient-reported visual recognition is often inaccurate and may lead to diagnostic errors unless supported by specific immunoallergological testing. A 37-year-old man who, during a stay in Taramundi (Asturias, Spain), sustained an insect sting that he visually identified as Nomada flava. Ten minutes later, he developed Müller grade III anaphylaxis, with loss of consciousness, angioedema, and vomiting. The allergologic evaluation revealed double sensitization to Vespula spp. and Polistes dominula through skin testing and specific IgE measurement, with no evidence of sensitization to Apis mellifera. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated serum reactivity directed against Polistes dominula venom, mainly to component Pol d 1. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of Polistes dominula venom allergy was established, and species-specific venom immunotherapy was prescribed. The patient was also diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome, confirmed by bone marrow examination. This case underscores the need for a comprehensive allergologic workup to accurately identify the implicated species and guide appropriate venom immunotherapy, as patient-reported visual recognition of the stinging insect may be unreliable. El diagnóstico de alergia a himenópteros puede resultar especialmente complejo, y la historia clínica supone un pilar fundamental para orientar la identificación del insecto responsable. No obstante, el reconocimiento visual, por parte del paciente, suele ser inexacto y conducir a errores en el diagnóstico si no se realizan pruebas específicas de inmunoalergia. Varón de 37 años, que durante su estancia en Taramundi (Asturias), sufrió una picadura de insecto que identificó visualmente como Nomada flava. Diez minutos después manifestó una reacción anafiláctica de grado III de Müller, con pérdida de la conciencia, leve angioedema y vómito. El estudio alergológico reveló doble sensibilización a Vespula spp. y Polistes dominula mediante pruebas cutáneas y determinación de IgE específica, sin evidencia de sensibilización a Apis mellifera. El inmunoblot mostró reconocimiento sérico dirigido contra el veneno de Polistes dominula, fundamentalmente al componente Pol d 1. Con estos resultados se estableció el diagnóstico de alergia a Polistes dominula y se indicó inmunoterapia específica frente a este veneno. El paciente fue además diagnosticado con síndrome de activación mastocitaria clonal, confirmado mediante estudio de médula ósea. Este caso destaca la necesidad del estudio alergológico completo, que permita identificar con precisión la especie implicada y seleccionar el tratamiento adecuado, pues el reconocimiento visual del insecto agresor puede ser limitado.

Locust phase polyphenism is a remarkable example of phenotypic plasticity, driven by population density to produce a dramatic shift between cryptic, solitarious and swarming, gregarious phenotypes. Despite over a century of research, the evidence base lacks systematic synthesis. We conducted a systematic review of 400 studies on locust phase polyphenism, integrating evidence across ecological, neurobiological, physiological, molecular, epigenetic, and microbial drivers. The results revealed that the evidence base is constrained by two critical limitations. First, severe taxonomic narrowness: 93.8% of studies focus on at least one of two model species (desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria and migratory locust, Locusta migratoria), with only 6.2% examining other locust species exclusively. Second, profound methodological disconnect: 84.5% of studies are laboratory-based, while field-only (6.0%) and integrated field-laboratory studies (6.2%) together constitute only 12.2% of the literature. Within this paradigm, mechanistic research has successfully mapped proximate pathways from tactile stimulation and serotonin/dopamine signaling to transcriptomic reprogramming and epigenetic regulation. However, direct species comparisons reveal fundamental divergence rather than conservation, challenging assumptions of universal mechanisms. Laboratory-derived pathways remain poorly integrated with field ecology-vegetation structure, nutritional geography, and climate dynamics-creating a translational impasse for predictive management. Emerging areas such as microbiome dynamics and transgenerational epigenetics require causal validation under ecologically relevant conditions. Reliance on the current narrow paradigm fundamentally limits both biological understanding and practical application. We propose a future research prioritizing: (1) phylogenetically broad comparative multi-omics to distinguish conserved cores from lineage-specific adaptations; (2) integrated field-laboratory experiments incorporating climate and landscape heterogeneity; (3) causal validation of emerging regulators in ecologically relevant contexts; and (4) translation of comparative insights into species-specific management tools through equitable partnerships with researchers and practitioners in outbreak-affected regions. Such integration is essential for developing predictive, sustainable management strategies in an era of global change.

The evolution in the perspective of regulatory and industry over the last decade has led to a shift toward the adoption of new approach methodologies (NAMs), heightening the need for robust human-relevant models for clinical and basic research. As a result, the NAMs field is littered with a plethora of different approaches toward creating human-relevant testing methods. To realize the opportunity that NAMs pose, there is an essential need to have fundamental experimental strategies. This review focuses on such fundamental concepts and considerations needed to strengthen current and future techniques. Herein, a number of simple, manageable practices, which are often overlooked, are proposed, such as choosing appropriate authenticated cells, using defined media and consumables, controlling passage number, and applying suitable controls. In addition to these practical decisions, the importance of transparent reporting and dissemination, and need for all involved within research to encourage robust in vitro methods are emphasized. By elevating these 'basic' components from assumptions to explicit requirements, researchers can make impactful changes to ensure the robustness, reliability, and reproducibility of in vitro NP pulmonary toxicity studies.

Mirror bacteria are organisms constructed from mirror-image biomolecules unlike those used by all known life and are moving from theoretical concept to practical feasibility. Their unusual chemistry that makes them resistant to natural degradation and isolated from ecosystems, fuels optimism for applications such as more stable medicines, long-term information storage, and novel platforms for bioengineering. At the same time, these very characteristics raise reservations: they challenge existing definitions of "life," expose gaps in regulation, and risk undermining public trust if deployed without careful oversight. This perspective assesses not only those risks but also the opportunities of mirror bacteria, moving beyond narrow biosafety debates to explore their broader ethical, regulatory, and cultural implications. We argue that mirror bacteria represent a rare testcase for how science and society navigate the responsibilities of creating fundamentally new forms of life. Their development offers not only technical possibilities but also a chance to build more resilient frameworks for governance and ethics in synthetic biology.

Coreference resolution is a fundamental task in natural language processing (NLP) that identifies all textual expressions referring to the same real-world entity. While crucial for downstream NLP applications, this task presents particular challenges for Amharic, a morphologically rich Semitic language with limited annotated resources compared to widely studied languages. This study presents a neural coreference resolution system for Amharic, which integrates multi-head attention (MHA) and a named entity recognition (NER) module. MHA is utilized to capture intricate contextual relationships within and between mentions, enhancing the model's ability to discern coreferent links. The NER module integrates a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network with a conditional random field, enhancing mention detection by leveraging semantic information from named entities to guide candidate span generation. In addition, we proposed a comprehensive model architecture comprising preprocessing and morphological analysis steps, followed by contextualization, span generation and representation, mention scoring and pruning, and a dedicated coreference resolution layer. Experimental results on a custom-built Amharic coreference dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, showcasing competitive performance and highlighting the synergistic benefits of combining multi-head attention with explicit NER for improving coreference resolution in a low-resource setting.

The liver-brain axis (LBA) represents a bidirectional communication network between the liver and the central nervous system (CNS), governed by integrated neural, humoral, and immune signaling pathways. Emerging evidence indicates that the liver functions not merely as a passive metabolic organ subordinate to central commands, but rather as a dynamic hub that actively senses and modulates peripheral neuroimmune responses. We here first delineate the fundamental communication mechanisms and the transport kinetics of signaling molecules governing LBA interactions. We then examine the profound species-specific disparities between humans and mice-particularly regarding signaling mediators, blood-brain barrier (BBB) architecture, and the hepatic immune microenvironment. From a pathophysiological perspective, we establish that LBA dysfunction serves as a core driver of obesity, diabetes, and their multisystemic sequelae, including cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. Finally, we highlight recent therapeutic advances targeting the LBA for the management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), atherosclerosis, and associated psychiatric conditions, thereby underscoring the immense clinical potential of LBA-targeted interventions.

Phonemes and prosodic contours are fundamental elements of speech used to convey complementary meanings. Perceiving these elements requires mapping variable acoustic cues onto discrete categories along ventral and dorsal speech streams. While traditional models make clear predictions, exactly where and when this acoustic-to-categorical mapping occurs remains unclear. Using magnetoencephalography and behavioural psychophysics, combined with time-resolved representational similarity and multivariate transfer entropy analyses, we show how phonemes and prosody propagate along the dual streams and how their categorical representations are gradually formed. Contrary to theoretical predictions, acoustic and categorical representations occur in parallel, rather than serially, across time and space for both elements. Moreover, prosody categories extend further along both streams than phoneme categories, with differently weighted contributions of posterior temporal areas. These results highlight a shared principle of parallel acoustic and categorical processing, yet partially distinct abstraction mechanisms for phonemes and prosody, key to access the multilayered meaning of speech.

Artificial stimuli-responsive systems play a pivotal role in driving rapid advances at the frontiers of science and technology. However, existing systems are commonly constrained by "single fixed reaction pathways", making it difficult to replicate the synergistic integration of low-energy activation, multistable states, and excellent cycling reversibility of biological processes. Inspired by the precise regulation of water in biological photoreceptors, this study introduces a "water-assisted excited-state pathway remodeling" (WEPR) mechanism. By designing photoswitchable molecules that functionally mimic rhodopsin chromophores, we employ environmentally benign water as a dynamic regulatory factor to achieve intelligent switching of reaction pathways between high- and low-barrier channels. Materials developed based on this mechanism exhibit exceptional bistability (>7 days), excellent cycling reversibility (>100 cycles), and remarkable long-term stability (>2 years). These properties make it a compelling candidate for technologies such as dynamic information encryption and sustainable displays featuring on-demand visualization and instant erasure. Furthermore, leveraging the multiscale similarities between our molecular switch system and biological visual pigments, the potential role of water in visual perception is discussed. This work not only provides a bioinspired paradigm for developing novel intelligent materials but also offers new insights into the fundamental mechanisms of color perception.

K. Dey , S. M. Rahaman , T. Chakraborti , and S. Chakraborti , "Role of Phospholemman and the 70 kDa Inhibitor Protein in Regulating Na+/K+ ATPase Activity in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells under U46619 Stimulation," FEBS Letters 587, no. 21 (2013): 3535-3540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2013.09.011. The above article, published online on 18 September 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Michael Brunner; the Federation of European Biochemical Societies; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. A third party reported on PubPeer [1] that there was evidence of duplication of bands in Figure 1D and duplication and manipulation of image elements in Figure 4C. An investigation by the journal and publisher confirmed that Figures 1D and 4C had been manipulated. They also found evidence of duplication and manipulation between Figures 2A and 2B, as well as evidence of duplication between Figure 4B and the first three bands in Figure 5B. The authors did not initially respond to an inquiry about these concerns by the publisher. The retraction has been agreed to because the evidence of image manipulation within this article fundamentally compromises the editors' confidence in the results and conclusions as presented. The authors were informed of the retraction. References [1] Brachystigma wrightii. Comments on "Role of phospholemman and the 70 kDa inhibitor protein in regulating Na+/K+ ATPase activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells under U46619 stimulation," PubPeer, March 2026. https://pubpeer.com/publications/1E450411C9E5FB2DC607F7D229B95A.

With the advance of large-scale genotyping and the high availability of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, genomic selection (GS) has become fundamental for plant and animal breeding. However, this technique faces three classical problems: multicollinearity, high marker dimensionality, and high computational cost. To address these problems, mixed models or Bayesian inference methods are generally used. More recently, bin-based genomic window approaches have been widely used, as they can group redundant markers, reducing dimensionality and mitigating the effects of multicollinearity. However, the performance of these methods depends, among other factors, on the number, size, and location of the bins. In general, existing approaches group markers based on linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns or use fixed-size genome partitions. A transdimensional method was proposed to jointly infer the dimension, location, and composition of genomic compartments, as well as the parameters associated with the model, through reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (RJ-MCMC) sampling. The method was evaluated in simulated F2 and F10 populations under oligogenic and polygenic architectures, as well as in human SNP data from the HapMap project with simulated phenotypes and real eucalyptus data. In the simulated datasets, the method achieved the best results under oligogenic architectures (F2 and F10). In more complex polygenic scenarios and real data, performance was satisfactory and comparable to that of rr-BLUP, Bayes B, and Hu, considering mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). The proposed method incorporates model complexity as an inferential component, allowing the automatic estimation of the number, location, and composition of genomic compartments jointly with the model effects. The method demonstrated robust predictive performance, in addition to improving the ability to identify causal regions, which may represent a promising methodological alternative for both genomic selection and QTL mapping.

Alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics are fundamentally governed by electrode-electrolyte interfacial water structure and hydrogen-bond (H-bond) networks, yet their dynamic regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here we show that precise modulation of the P coordination environment of Ir-based catalysts effectively enhances alkaline HOR catalytic performance. A series of Ir-based model catalysts with tunable P-coordination numbers are synthesized on nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) (IrP2-Ir2P@NC, IrP2@NC, Ir@NC). The optimal Ir-P coordination (5.1 ± 0.7) induces controlled partial dissolution of Ir cations, a dynamic phenomenon rarely exploited in alkaline HOR catalysis. This effect reconstructs the interfacial H-bond network via enriched gap-H2O and strengthened network connectivity, while optimizing hydrogen and hydroxyl adsorption to accelerate the Volmer step. The optimized IrP2-Ir2P@NC delivers a mass activity of 1.72 mA μg-1 and a prominent alkaline exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) peak power density of 1.59 W cm-2. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations confirm modified solvation structure elevates interfacial H-bond density, thereby elucidating the previously unresolved mechanism by which cation dissolution dynamically templates the H-bond network for enhanced HOR performance.

For decades, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid (HOSA) was relegated to the periphery of organic synthesis as a rudimentary, consumable electrophilic aminating agent. Recently, the strategic exploitation of its highly polarized N-O bond and exceptional sulfate leaving group has triggered renewed methodological interests, elevating HOSA from a static nitrogen donor to a dynamic "multifunctional reagent" and a "tunable directing group." This comprehensive review systematically decodes this paradigm shift across three distinct operational dimensions. First, in metal-free transformations, we elucidate how HOSA leverages its Umpolung reactivity and endogenous thermodynamic driving force to orchestrate profound skeletal reorganizations-such as cascade Beckmann and Lossen rearrangements-while unveiling its concealed identity as a non-consumable zwitterionic organocatalyst. Second, we critically evaluate its significant methodological advancements in transition-metal catalysis, where HOSA emerges as a versatile transient directing group (TDG), dictating precise spatial topologies for remote C-H activation and driving highly programmable, switchable divergent catalytic manifolds. Finally, we highlight HOSA's disruptive impact on industrial-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing, showcasing its unparalleled capacity to truncate classical synthetic routes and definitively eradicate genotoxic impurities in the commercial production of blockbuster drugs. By bridging fundamental physical organic insights with multi-kilogram industrial triumphs, this review firmly establishes HOSA as a premier, sustainable feedstock propelling the next generation of precision organic synthesis.

The classic pathological teaching aphorism that "male lung cancer is predominantly squamous cell carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma, SCC), whereas female lung cancer is predominantly adenocarcinoma (adenocarcinoma, ADC)" remains widely used in medical education, yet it is now markedly discordant with contemporary epidemiological evidence. We argue that this discrepancy does not indicate that the aphorism was historically incorrect; rather, the three exposure premises on which it was originally founded have been fundamentally altered in the modern era. The substantial global decline in male smoking prevalence has weakened the population basis of SCC, cigarette filter ventilation design, as a hypothetical contributing factor, has altered the intrapulmonary deposition pattern of inhaled carcinogens, while fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can activate pre-existing driver mutations in lung epithelial cells through inflammatory signaling, thereby establishing a tobacco-independent carcinogenic pathway favoring ADC. The convergence of these exposure shifts has enabled ADC to replace SCC as the most common lung cancer subtype in both men and women across most countries and regions. However, the teaching aphorism has never been explicitly annotated with its historical conditional boundaries. As a result, a screening cognition framework still centered on the "smoking-SCC" paradigm may generate substantial blind spots in clinical practice, potentially contributing to missed detection and diagnostic misclassification. We therefore advocate replacing this static mnemonic with a conditional and dynamic teaching framework structured around temporal, exposure, and population dimensions, and call for prioritizing risk-stratified lung cancer screening strategies for never-smokers together with individual-level causal validation of the PM2.5-driven carcinogenic pathway.

At the frontiers of X-ray and high-power laser optics, Professor Zhanshan Wang has made outstanding contributions from fundamental mechanism to fabrication technologies and high performance applications over the last 25 years. As a Professor at Tongji University, he leads the Innovative Research Group of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, pioneered a novel theoretical framework for the synergistic tailoring of spectral response, electric field distribution, irradiation damage and optical loss in thin films optics. He developed high-precision characterization methods for resolving atomic-scale defects in coatings, invented a full-process and quantitative fabrication technology for thin film optics. By establishing premier research platforms and cultivating a highly skilled scientific team, his sustained efforts have greatly improved the performance of X-ray and optical thin-film devices which have been widely applied in synchrotron radiation, high power laser facilities, and space telescope. In this interview, he reflects on the scientific concepts guiding his research on X-ray and laser optics, the philosophy behind cultivating a world-class research team, and his vision for the future of optical science and technology.

Wearable electrophysiological monitoring based on hydrogel electrodes is pivotal for decoding the body's "electrical language", yet fundamentally hampered by the unstable mechano-electrical interface between flexible electrodes and the skin caused by dehydration and poor breathability. Here, we demonstrate a symbiotic interface between an embedded-interfacial enhanced breathable conductive hydrogel network (BCHN) and skin for high-fidelity long-term electrophysiological monitoring. By embedding sodium chloride-containing polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel into an oxidized electrospun 3D porous polylactic acid skeleton, a BCHN with embedded enhanced interface featuring dense ion transport pathways and multiple water molecule-adsorbing sites is constructed. Upon application, the breathable (1.85 kg·m⁻²·day⁻¹, ~3× skin perspiration) flexible conductive hydrogel network with bending stiffness of ~10-10 N·m² seamlessly conforms to the microscopic landscape of the skin, forming a symbiotic BCHN-skin interface, which allows BCHN to "breathe" in harmony with the skin to preserve stable hydration and conductivity by dynamically balancing sweat capture, permeation, and evaporation, evidenced by a sustained 55 Ω impedance even at 20%RH. Integrated into a wearable monitoring system, the BCHN electrodes maintain high-quality signals (SNR > 25 dB) for over 30 days, thereby permitting the quantitative assessment and early warning of driver fatigue through long-term electroencephalography analysis.

The atmospheric composition of rocky exoplanets offers an important tool for constraining the properties of the interior of this type of planet, beyond what is possible from measurements of their mass and radius alone. However, the interpretation of these observations requires an understanding of the complex interplay of a larger number of coupled planetary and atmospheric processes. This review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding rocky exoplanet atmospheres, beginning with their formation and escape mechanisms. We specifically highlight the importance of long-term interaction between the atmosphere, the surface, and the interior on rocky planets. Furthermore, this review addresses the influence of biological activity and photochemical reactions on the atmospheric compositions. Consequently, establishing how these different processes contribute to shaping the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets during their evolution is fundamental for the characterization of these planets with future space missions and ground-based surveys.

Blood vessels form a closed circulatory network that transports blood from the heart to peripheral tissues and back. Long-term vascular adaptation is mediated by angiogenesis, and the principal stages of this process have been systematically investigated, with particular emphasis on the microvascular bed and vessel sprouting. Angiogenesis is a fundamental adaptive process, tightly regulated by chemical, neural, and molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, the biological effects of several canonical regulators of vessel guidance, such as VEGF and bFGF, require precise regulation to ensure proper vascular network patterning and subsequent function. Emerging evidence suggests the need to adopt a broader perspective that incorporates new biological actors, such as the UNC5B (Uncoordinated-5 homolog b) receptor, a member of the Netrin family, which has been described as either pro- or anti-angiogenic depending on the specific vascular bed. However, the putative role and contribution of non-classical receptors, such as UNC5B, in the vascular patterning and endothelial stability via distinct intracellular signaling pathways have not been fully explored. Different forms of crosstalk among trophic mediators help maintain balanced angiogenic and barrier-stabilizing functions and a reparative microenvironment, which could be a potential therapeutic target depending on the vascular bed.Recent studies demonstrate that UNC5B function is shaped by tissue-specific molecular contexts, including ligand availability, co-receptor expression, and local signaling cues, positioning it as a context-dependent regulator of signaling balance. Transcriptomic analyses and experimental models reveal marked heterogeneity in UNC5B expression across endothelial subtypes, particularly in placental, retinal, and central nervous system vasculature, suggesting specialized roles in barrier maintenance and angiogenic fine-tuning.

A longstanding debate in social cognition centres on distinguishing between cognitive processes that are specialised for social content and those that function across multiple domains. Recent research shows that the visual processing of human figures in apparent social interactions is marked by early perceptual grouping. However, whether perceptual grouping of social scenes occurs through a social-specific or domain-general mechanism remains unclear. We examined this question by investigating the relationship between individual differences in social aptitude and perceptual grouping in geometric and social domains. Participants (n = 172) completed selective and integrative attention tasks featuring visual displays of geometric and human dyads. Their accuracy and reaction times were measured, and individual social traits were assessed using Autism Quotient Questionnaire subscales. Both geometric and social stimuli showed significant perceptual grouping effects, characterised by faster processing under integrative attention and slower processing under selective attention. Notably, individuals with higher social autistic traits tended to show selective difficulties in social perceptual grouping while maintaining intact geometric grouping, a pattern consistent with domain-specific processes in social scene processing. These findings suggest that even fundamental visual processes may be specifically tuned for social perception, with potential implications for understanding individual differences in social cognition.

Networks of coupled oscillators underpin fundamental studies of collective dynamics and emerging paradigms in physical computing. Spin Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs) are particularly attractive due to their scalability and fast spin-wave-mediated interactions, yet mutual synchronization has so far been limited to small arrays and predominantly steady-state characterization. Here we demonstrate nanosecond phase ordering in lattices of up to N = 105,000 constriction-type SHNOs with widths of 10-20 nm. Microwave spectra reveal full mutual synchronization, a quality factor exceeding 106, power scaling as N and linewidth scaling as N-1. Time-resolved Brillouin light scattering shows a weak, approximately logarithmic increase in the synchronization time with array size. The synchronization time varies from 10 ns in arrays of 100 SHNOs to 45 ns for the largest arrays and is consistent with Kuramoto-type collective phase-ordering dynamics in a large two-dimensional oscillator lattice. These results establish spin-wave-mediated SHNO lattices as an experimentally accessible platform for exploring collective oscillator physics and for developing embedded-Ising and reservoir-computing architectures operating at tens of gigahertz.