Most human pathogens are zoonotic, transmitted from vertebrate hosts to humans. However, it is still unclear how the topology of host co-occurrence networks may contribute to disease transmission. To address this uncertainty, we examined the host co-occurrence networks of 22 zoonotic pathogens from six continents (70 networks). First, we distinguished two major gradients of variability in host network topology—size (numbers of nodes and edges) and connectance/modularity. Larger networks with high connectance but low modularity have a greater potential for zoonotic disease transmission. These networks encompassed the hosts of 10 pathogens that cause emerging, re-emerging, and/or genetically diversifying diseases: St. Louis encephalitis virus, influenza A virus, West Nile virus, Toxoplasma gondii, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Avian orthoavulavirus 1, Japanese encephalitis virus, Usutu virus, Sindbis virus, and Coxiella burnetii. Second, we identified the top 87 hosts with the most connections to other hosts across networks, for example, Columba livia (rock pigeon), Passer domesticus (house sparrow), Hirundo rustica (barn swallow), Sturnus vulgaris (European starling), Anas platyrhynchos (mallard), and Gallinula chloropus (common moorhen). These species were highly connected in 7–27 networks of 2–11 pathogens. Notably, 50 of the 87 hosts were migratory, urban, or semi-urban, highlighting the risk of zoonotic spread in developed areas.
The rapid formation of methane hydrates in subsea pipelines threatens flow safety, while conventional inhibitors face environmental and efficiency limitations. This study investigates a poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-glycine (PVCap-glycine) composite system for synergistic methane hydrate inhibition. Experimental results demonstrate superior performance: the composite system extends induction time to 672 min (135% and 37% longer than the single PVCap and glycine, respectively), reduces gas consumption by 72.6%, and lowers peak gas consumption rates by 25–45.5% compared to the blank system. Mechanistically, glycine disrupts water's hydrogen-bond network through carboxyl groups, delaying quasi-clathrate nucleation, while PVCap's hydrophobic chains adsorb on crystal nuclei, forming mass-transfer barriers. Their hydrophobic association generates composite micelles, increasing interfacial resistance by approximately 40% and elevating nucleation energy barriers. Notably, substituting glycine for partial PVCap reduces environmental burdens while achieving 135% longer induction time and 45.2% lower gas consumption than the single PVCap, overcoming the performance limitations of individual inhibitors at their optimal concentrations. The synergy originates from glycine's molecular-scale water perturbation and PVCap's interfacial regulation, coupled with wax-induced physicochemical barriers, enabling dual thermodynamic-kinetic inhibition. This synergistic strategy enables high-performance, low-environmental-impact inhibitors for deep-sea pipeline safety.
Two multilayer chiral three-dimensional (3D) polymers exhibiting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were successfully synthesized through Suzuki–Miyaura crosslinking reactions. Deliberately designed with different terminal functional groups (bromine vs. boronic ester), these polymers served as a model system to probe the profound influence of molecular structure on nanoscale aggregation and macroscopic function. Both polymers demonstrated significant AIE behavior, but the variant with less sterically hindered termini formed more uniform aggregates, leading to superior AIE performance. This property enabled their application as ultrasensitive fluorescent probes for the detection of Fe3+ and Cr6+ ions in tetrahydrofuran (THF), achieving detection limits at the nanomolar (nM) level. The materials exhibited outstanding selectivity against competing ions: binding of Fe3+ or Cr6+ inhibited electron transfer, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The distinct terminal groups were found to influence the sensing mechanism, with the boronic ester functionality introducing an additional redox-based pathway for enhanced Fe3+ sensitivity. This study establishes a comprehensive design paradigm for AIE-active materials, linking precise structural engineering to extended sensing functions. These multifunctional polymers show great potential for applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and the development of advanced smart sensors.
Humans are inherently driven to form meaningful relationships, yet attempts at social connection often fall short or fail. This study investigates whether social connectedness can be improved by modulating interbrain coupling—a neural correlate of successful social interactions—through neurofeedback. Using a multibrain computer interface that visualized, in real time, the degree to which dyad members' electroencephalography (EEG) signals synchronized, dyads were randomly assigned to receive either neurofeedback or sham feedback generated from random signals. Compared with the sham group, dyads receiving neurofeedback showed greater interbrain coupling, and increases in coupling were associated with stronger feelings of social connectedness. A chain-mediation analysis suggested that the experience of enhanced social connectedness was driven by a sense of joint control and shared intentionality. Together, these findings demonstrate the potential of interbrain neurofeedback to modulate interbrain coupling and support key components of social connectedness.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) and sciatic nerve injury (SNI) represent distinct neurotrauma models with different pathological outcomes. Although both injuries result in severe motor and sensory dysfunction in the lower limbs, their divergent mechanisms of muscle atrophy and neural circuit remodeling remain poorly understood. This study systematically compared electrophysiological and morphological alterations at multiple time points post-injury. At 4 weeks, SNI induced severe muscle atrophy and complete loss of compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), whereas SCI caused mild atrophy and moderate CMAP amplitude reduction. Neuromuscular junctions were fully denervated within 1 week after SNI but remained intact in SCI. Neither SCI nor SNI altered motor neuron number/area, though SNI triggered transient NeuN downregulation in these neurons. Divergent neural circuit reorganization also occurred: SNI eliminated vGluT1⁺ Ia synapses from ventral horn motor neurons, while SCI promoted vGluT1⁺ Ia afferent sprouting alongside reduced GAD65⁺ inhibitory terminals. Additionally, glial responses differed markedly: SCI induced widespread spinal microgliosis/astrocytosis, whereas SNI caused localized ventral/dorsal horn gliosis near axotomized neurons. Nociceptive fiber plasticity also diverged: SCI upregulated CGRP⁺ dorsal horn terminals without affecting IB4⁺ fibers, while SNI abolished both CGRP⁺ and IB4⁺ terminals. These findings demonstrate fundamentally distinct pathological cascades in SCI versus SNI, providing mechanistic insights for developing tailored neurotrauma treatments.
Growing concerns about digital media's impact on adolescent well-being highlight critical limitations in existing research methodologies that rely predominantly on self-reported screen time measures, which inadequately capture the complexity of digital interactions and behavioral patterns. Data donation, where individuals voluntarily share objective social media data, offers a transformative approach, yet its feasibility with adolescents remains underexplored. This study evaluated the feasibility of implementing data donation methodology with adolescent populations to develop practical guidelines for future studies. We conducted a large-scale, 2-week longitudinal trial (N = 358, aged 13–18) alongside focus groups and youth advisory panels, integrating ecological momentary assessment (EMA), validated psychometrics, and data donation from Instagram and TikTok. Results demonstrated strong feasibility across technical, ethical, and engagement dimensions: Overall, 78.9% of participants donated Instagram data, and 65.8% donated TikTok data, with 74% average EMA response rates. Findings indicate substantial willingness to participate in intensive digital behavioral research when appropriate safeguards and youth-centered approaches are implemented. We propose six key recommendations for data donation studies with adolescents: (1) clearly communicating research value, (2) establishing rigorous consent procedures, (3) centering adolescents’ voices through co‑design, (4) selecting appropriate platforms, (5) implementing suitable technical frameworks, and (6) building robust multi‑stakeholder recruitment strategies.
The following systematic review provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). After reviewing 40 studies, 9 human clinical studies that included case reports or case series were included and resulted in a total of 12 patients with OI. Five studies documented an increase in total body bone mineral (TBBM) content, whereas four studies observed a reduction in fracture rates post-transplantation. Moreover, noticeable improvements in children's growth were recorded. Although both BMSCs and human fetal MSCs (hfMSCs) were found to be effective, studies involving BMSCs were rated higher in terms of methodological quality. Both BMSCs and hfMSCs demonstrated significant improvements in TBBM, growth rates, and fracture reduction, with BMSC studies scoring higher in methodological quality. Future randomized clinical trials with longer follow-ups are necessary.
Previous research has implicated involvement of the cerebellum in high-level cognitive functions. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the cerebellum in bilingual language control and domain-general cognitive control. Chinese–English bilinguals were instructed to perform a language-switching task and a cognitive control task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Using both univariate and multivariate analyses, we aimed to explore the functional overlaps and dissociations in the cerebellum between these two cognitive processes. The results demonstrated that the bilateral posterolateral cerebellum, including bilateral lobule VI and right Crus I, is engaged in both language control and cognitive control. In contrast, multivariate analyses identified distinct activation patterns in the right Crus I/II and right lobule VIII between the two tasks. For the first time, our study demonstrates that the cerebellum, analogous to the cerebral cortex, exhibits hierarchical processing in these two cognitive processes.
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