Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is one of the common life-altering disabilities resulting in various degrees of impairment in movement and sensation alongside apraxia and long-lasting pain. The gold standard for restoring the transected nerves is bridging the distal and proximal ends of disrupted autologous nerve using neurosurgical sutures. This approach is helpful, however nerve bridging is valid in pay of consuming healthy nerves and scarring phenomena in damaged site besides difficult donor nerve accessibility and extra surgery is required. Many studies have demonstrated that bFGF plays a pivotal role in the regeneration of PNI and severe spinal cord injury, exerting neuroprotective activity by binding to fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). Particularly, bFGF exhibits a high affinity for the receptor FGFR1, serving as its specific ligand. The novel synthetic compound SUN11602 exhibited neuroprotective activities like bFGF. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of SUN11602 treatment in a rat experimental model of peripheral median nerve transection (MNT) and end-to-end suture. MNT was performed on rats, starting from 24 h following the surgical procedure, to orally treat, daily for 7 days, with SUN11602 at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg. The results showed that SUN11602 administration significantly reduced the alteration of PNI, promoting median nerve regeneration, suppressed mast cell accumulation, and resident macrophages. Also, SUN11602 reduced pro-inflammatory response of M1 macrophages, stimulated Schwann cell proliferation, and slowed down median nerve demyelination and fibrosis. Therefore, SUN11602 could be considered a valuable pharmacological strategy for MNT.

A cooperative self-assembly of organic small molecules made of diester/diacid-bithiophene units [BT2D-CE (1), BT2D-CA (2)] with hexylpyridine- or phosphonic acid-functionalized dithienopyrrole units [DTP2D-Py (3), DTP2D-PA (4)] was induced atop Nickel Oxide (NiOx) hole-transport-layer for lead-free tin-based perovskite solar cells. The pyridine functionality of DTP2D-Py (3) in conjunction with the carboxyl group of BT2D-CA (2) altered the NiOx/Perovskite interfacial energetics and accelerates selective hole extraction by passivating the buried interfacial defects, resulting in a power conversion efficiency of 8.1% due to enhanced photovoltage (0.560 to 0.593 V), alongside remarkable operational stability. The crucial role of synergistic energy-level modulation, especially the Fermi level, was unraveled using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, demonstrating that combining complementary conjugated organic backbones with targeted functionalities offers versatility for enhancement of overall device performance and stability.

Commercial SnO2 colloidal solutions are widely used as an electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, their intrinsic strong alkalinity, required for colloidal stability, creates a high proton-affinity SnO2/perovskite interface that promotes deprotonation of formamidinium (FA+) cations, destabilizing the perovskite lattice and accelerating nonradiative recombination. Herein, the coordination-driven neutralization strategy was proposed by introducing a multidentate acidic molecule, 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), to regulate commercial SnO2 colloidal solutions. PBTC effectively neutralizes excessive OH- while strongly coordinating with SnO2 surface through its phosphonic and carboxylic groups, thereby reconstructing the surface chemistry environment and stabilizing the colloidal dispersion under near-neutral conditions. This strategy reduces the density of defects in SnO2 ETL, facilitating more efficient electron extraction and transport. More importantly, the resulting near-neutral buried interface inhibits FA+ deprotonation and mitigates non-radiative recombination losses. Consequently, the optimized devices achieve a power conversion efficiency of 25.87%. The unencapsulated devices retain 94.18% of their initial efficiency after 1000 h under ISOS-L-2I conditions and 90.85% after 300 h of ultraviolet illumination. This work presents a new strategy for synergistically regulating colloidal chemistry and interfacial reactions through multidentate coordination, offering a promising pathway toward highly efficient and stable PSCs.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), featuring abundant sodium reserves, low cost, and excellent safety, are promising for large-scale energy storage. Layered transition metal oxides (LTMOs) offer high specific capacity and structural tunability but suffer from severe interfacial instability. Repeated Na+ (de)intercalation induces lattice strain and electrode cracking, while reactive oxygen species and unsaturated surface sites accelerate electrolyte decomposition, transition-metal dissolution, and uncontrolled cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) growth. Interfacial engineering strategies, including surface coating, gradient doping, surface reconstruction, and electrolyte modification, can suppress side reactions and stabilize both the bulk and interface. This review systematically examines the multiscale degradation mechanisms of layered sodium transition-metal oxide cathodes. Focusing on structural compatibility and ion/electron transport kinetics, it evaluates major interfacial modification strategies and their underlying mechanisms, and summarizes advanced in situ characterization techniques for tracking dynamic interfacial evolution. To overcome poor coating uniformity, limited doping precision, and uncoordinated bulk-interface evolution, we propose a synergistic modification framework integrating multiscale theoretical calculations with advanced in situ characterization. Finally, future research directions and industrial prospects for high-energy, long-life layered oxide cathodes are discussed, offering guidance for the rational design and practical development of high-performance SIBs.

The identification of human remains in mass-casualty incidents requires rapid and reliable forensic DNA analysis, particularly when dealing with degraded skeletal material. Although rapid forensic identification is a fundamental objective in all disaster victim identification (DVI) operations, the repatriation of deceased hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack, c. 2 years postmortem (PM), imposed an additional challenge of a fixed operational deadline dictated by the implementation of the hostages-prisoners exchange agreement. To accelerate STR profiling, we reconfigured the conventional sequential process (extraction, quantification, amplification) into a flexible, decision-driven workflow. The new workflow incorporates a shortened 1.5-h DNA incubation, predefined dual-volume PCR amplification, and deferred DNA quantification. Built-in contingency mechanisms including multi-sample per case and enhanced 33-Cycle PCR-enabled immediate progression to alternative pathways when required. The accelerated workflow was applied in a real-world operational setting involving 37 cases (79 samples) collected during multiple repatriation phases. Informative STR profiles were obtained from 90% (71/79) of samples within 4 h per repatriation phase. Although eight individual samples remained non-informative, the integrated contingency mechanisms enabled successful resolution of all 37 cases (100%). Informative profiles were generated across a broad range of DNA quantities, including low-template samples, and from diverse skeletal elements. By comparison, the RapidHIT™ system generated an informative profile in only one of 21 samples. These findings demonstrate that restructuring the DNA workflow into a flexible, decision-driven process with built-in contingency mechanisms enables rapid and reliable profiling. The proposed workflow provides a practical operational framework for time-critical forensic DNA identification.

Improving the hydrogen storage properties of reactive hydride composite (RHC) systems remains challenging due to their high reaction barriers and multi-step transformation pathways. Here, we report markedly enhanced hydrogen storage properties by incorporating Co@C and Ni@C catalysts into 2LiH + MgB2 system via an interface-driven catalytic mechanism. Kinetic measurements exhibit significantly accelerated hydrogenation/dehydrogenation processes, accompanied by lower apparent activation energies. Temperature-dependent investigations and synchrotron radiation powder x-ray diffraction studies demonstrate a two-step dehydrogenation process, in which the catalytic effect is mainly associated with LiBH4 decomposition. Multiscale structural characterization shows that the catalysts refine the hydride matrix and provide stable nanoscale interfaces that are maintained during cycling. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the strong interfacial interactions between transition metal sites and LiBH4 lead to charge transfer and distortion of BH4 - units. The catalyst-hydride interfaces increase active site density, facilitate mass transport, and induce electronic interactions that weaken the B─H bonds and lower the dehydrogenation energy barrier. These findings demonstrate that the improved hydrogen storage properties predominantly result from interface-driven processes rather than uniform bulk activation. This work provides a mechanistic framework for catalyst design through interfacial engineering, offering a general strategy for optimizing reactive hydride composites for energy storage applications.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are essential contributors to the contemporary cardiology workforce. The increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease, coupled with persistent clinician shortages, has accelerated the integration of NPs across ambulatory and acute settings. This article explores the contributions of NPs to cardiology care across a continuum from longitudinal patient care and prevention to leadership and translational science. Investment in NP education, training, and role utilization will be pivotal to shaping an efficient, patient-centered cardiology workforce for the future.

Managing infected wounds requires a delicate balance between rapid antimicrobial activity and continued tissue repair. To meet this challenge, we developed a porous carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/alginate hydrogel loaded with Silver nanoparticles and a Pistacia atlantica essential oil rich in α-pinene. The hydrogel displayed remarkable swelling (up to 6362% over 72 h) and changed the essential oil release from a rapid, volatile burst to a sustained, controlled profile (73% steady release over 96 h). In vitro tests revealed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 650 μg/mL), significant antioxidant properties, and excellent cytocompatibility. Importantly, in vivo studies in mice demonstrated a stage-adaptive healing mechanism. Silver nanoparticles allowed rapid early infection control (47.4% wound closure by Day 4). Subsequently, the sustained release of the essential oil promoted robust tissue regeneration during the proliferative phase (82.6% closure by Day 7), driven by an enhanced TAC-mediated antioxidant defense, reduced MDA levels, and accelerated hydroxyproline-associated collagen synthesis. By Day 13, re-epithelialization was near-complete (93.6%), matching commercial controls. Ultimately, this synergistic integration of plant-derived bioactives and metal antimicrobials presents a highly effective, stage-specific platform for accelerated wound healing.

Polymer receivers fabricated by fused filament fabrication (FFF) are increasingly encountered in forensic casework; however, their firing-cycle behavior and the stability of associated ballistic toolmarks remain poorly understood. In this study, Ruger 10/22-pattern FFF-printed receivers produced from polylactic acid (PLA) were evaluated under controlled indoor shooting range conditions alongside a factory-produced aluminum receiver using identical trigger, bolt, and barrel components. Fired cartridge-case first-impact coordinates were recorded in three dimensions to quantify ejection dispersion and to estimate relative bolt kinetic energy, using the mean ejection distance as a conservative proxy. Under the improvised barrel-retention configuration used in this study, the FFF-printed receivers produced shorter and more variable fired cartridge-case ejection ranges than the factory reference, corresponding to approximately 46%-57% of the factory receiver's relative bolt kinetic energy, depending on ammunition type and reference condition. This observation was consistent with greater sensitivity to assembly-dependent factors, including headspace-related variation and barrel retention instability, and with reduced bolt acceleration. To examine systematic changes in toolmark stability under conditions of reduced barrel-to-receiver rigidity relevant to improvised privately manufactured firearm (PMF) assembly practices documented in forensic submissions, an unsecured-barrel configuration was used. Under this configuration, sequential firing produced progressive changes in ballistic toolmark expression: chamber-contact regions diminished and shifted over short firing sequences, and firing-pin impression footprints were consistently smaller and less distinct than those produced by the factory reference receiver. These findings provide practical insights for the forensic interpretation of fired cartridge-case toolmark patterns, operability assessment, and evaluation of toolmark reliability in PMFs.

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a powerful strategy for exploring functional solution spaces, yet its pace is fundamentally constrained by low spontaneous mutation rates. Here, we present a broadly applicable genetic device that accelerates genome diversification in Gram-negative bacteria through the transient action of a dual base editor (ACBE3). This construct combines cytidine and adenosine deaminase activities with a single-stranded DNA-binding module, enabling efficient genome-wide mutagenesis without reliance on host-specific replication or repair systems. The expression of ACBE3 increased mutation rates by up to four orders of magnitude in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida, outperforming classical random mutagenesis approaches such as UV irradiation and chemical treatment. Whole-genome sequencing revealed extensive and uniformly distributed mutations, predominantly consistent with deamination signatures, as well as a broader spectrum of nucleotide changes and small indels. The system displayed strong orthogonality, functioning across diverse bacterial taxa. As a proof of concept, coupling ACBE3-mediated diversification with selective growth conditions enabled the rapid evolution of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus P320, yielding mutant strains with enhanced growth on n-dodecane within only a few induction cycles. This approach decouples diversification from selection, enabling the controlled exploration of adaptive landscapes at unprecedented speeds. While high mutational loads impose cellular burdens and require tight regulatory control, the platform offers a versatile route to accelerate microbial evolution at both single-strain and community levels. Our results thus document dual base editing as a powerful framework for fostering evolution in microbial biotechnology.

In oncology, clinical trials are a cornerstone of evaluating new treatments. However, traditional designs face significant challenges, particularly when assessing multiple treatment options. The emergence of multi-arm multi-stage (MAMS) designs, such as the drop-the-losers (DtL) approach, offers innovative solutions by combining multiple hypotheses within a single trial. This work evaluates the DtL approach. We extend the design to binary and survival endpoints. The statistical performance (Type I error control, statistical power, and biases) of the DtL design was assessed using a simulation study. Results demonstrated that the DtL design effectively balances statistical rigor and efficiency. The design strongly controls Type I error while ensuring high power in detecting drug effects. Scenarios with ineffective treatments highlighted the advantage of eliminating suboptimal options early. One limitation identified is that long-term survival endpoints may not be mature enough to support early treatment selection. Early decision-making is a key aspect of adaptive designs to support futility analysis or early efficacy analysis. It is critical to define properly the decision thresholds for such early analyses. Updating the endpoint of interest over time also aligns with clinical practices, starting with ORR, transitioning to benefit-risk scores or progression-free survival (PFS), and concluding with overall survival (OS) at the final analysis. Such an approach requires handling of correlations between drug effects across these endpoints. This work provides a comprehensive framework for implementing DtL design, demonstrating its potential to accelerate treatment evaluation in oncology.

Sky island mountain ranges of the American Southwest represent isolated habitat fragments surrounded by arid lowland barriers, making them powerful natural experiments for studying population divergence, demographic history and local adaptation. Here, we use whole-genome resequencing of the Western Hercules beetle (Dynastes grantii Horn, 1870) across four primary lineages to characterize the genomic consequences of habitat fragmentation and climate-driven isolation. Population structure analyses revealed strong hierarchical genetic differentiation consistent with isolation-by-distance, while ABBA-BABA tests detected little to no evidence of post-divergence gene flow among lineages. Coalescent modelling revealed synchronous demographic expansions during the Last Glacial Period followed by severe Holocene contractions across all lineages, with the Utah population experiencing the most pronounced bottleneck and maintaining persistently low effective population size (Ne). The elevated FST but equivalent DXY in Utah comparisons and elevated runs of homozygosity (ROH) indicate that its genetic distinctiveness reflects accelerated drift rather than ancient isolation. Genomic-environment association analyses identified 1367 high-confidence candidate loci associated with precipitation seasonality, with precipitation of the wettest quarter driving the strongest signal of polygenic adaptation. Monsoon moisture regimes are the primary selective axis shaping genomic divergence. Genetic offset projections identified Mt. Lemmon as the most vulnerable population under future climate scenarios, and genetic rescue donor analyses identified population-specific sources for assisted gene flow. Our results demonstrate how integrating demographic inference, divergence genomics and landscape genomics with whole-genome data, including historical museum specimens, can simultaneously advance understanding of evolutionary history and inform actionable conservation strategies in the future.