Glass-ceramic scintillators are attracting considerable attention as highly promising materials. However, increasing crystallinity inevitably enhances Rayleigh scattering, compromising their transparency. This creates a fundamental contradiction between achieving high crystallinity and high transparency. Resolving this contradiction is therefore critical, needing ongoing efforts in developing material design strategies.

In a paper published in Mycology, a Chinese team of scientists revealed a sophisticated chemical dialogue between a host fungus and symbiotic bacterium within Shiraia fruiting body. These findings provide unprecedented insights into microbial warfare strategies in specialized ecological niches while developing novel co-culture induction methodologies for the simultaneous biotechnological production of fungal hypocrellin A and bacterial carotenoids.

A collaborative team led by Researcher Chen Ruichong from Chengdu University, in partnership with Professor Qi Jianqi from Sichuan University and Researcher Wang Haomin from Taihang Laboratory, has achieved a groundbreaking advance in ceramic processing. By synergistically modulating nanoscale effects with the material’s intrinsic layered structure, the researchers demonstrated for the first time that water can serve as an effective transient liquid phase (TLP) for cold sintering of water-insoluble Li₂TiO₃ ceramics.

Under optimized conditions of 300°C and 700 MPa, the team successfully densified the ceramics to a relative density of 94.33%, while precisely maintaining an ultrafine grain size of 26.42 nm. This innovation provides a novel strategy for the low-temperature, environmentally friendly fabrication of water-insoluble ceramics, significantly broadening the scope of cold sintering technology. The findings hold promising applications in high-end fields such as energy storage and nuclear industries.

Sepsis continues to cause nearly one in five deaths globally, with little improvement despite existing guidelines. This editorial explores why current efforts fall short and outlines future directions for research and care. Key areas include AI-based early detection, faster diagnostics, personalized treatments, and improved trial designs. By closing the gap between evidence and bedside practice, these strategies offer a path toward reducing sepsis deaths and advancing global critical care.

A new study shows that the human gut microbiota can pinpoint whether an adult lives in Wuhan or Shiyan, two cities 500 km apart in China's Hubei Province, with 94 % accuracy. This microbial signature is strongly linked to each city’s characteristic diet.

This paper proposes a new theoretical content and research framework of multi-spheric interaction-driven hydrocarbon formation and enrichment through in-depth analyses of the Earth’s multi-spheric coupling mechanisms and cross-spheric cycling processes of volatiles. It establishes a novel theoretical paradigm for optimizing target prioritization of both mature field revitalization and frontier play assessment.

 In summary, the integration of AI and nursing is an inevitable trend. The only way to unleash the potential of AI and promote the nursing industry to realize high-quality development in the technological wave is to strengthen the humanistic roots, make up for the shortcomings of skills, and improve the ethical framework.

Laser therapy is a widely accepted method for tattoo removal, fragmenting tattoo pigments for eventual clearance by the immune system. However, tattoos presenting with signs of allergic reactions—such as erythema, swelling, pruritus, or localized dermatitis—pose unique challenges that contraindicate the use of laser treatments. This review explores clinical and immunological reasons why laser therapy should be avoided in tattoos manifesting allergic reactions, focusing on the exacerbation of symptoms, potential systemic hypersensitivity, and increased risk of severe adverse effects. Tattoo inks, particularly those containing red pigments, are known to induce delayed hypersensitivity reactions, driven by the body’s immune response to the injected foreign substances. Laser-induced breakdown of tattoo pigments can trigger an amplified allergic response due to the rapid release of pigment particles, which may further stimulate the immune system. Additionally, photomechanical fragmentation of tattoo inks during laser treatment increases the bioavailability of allergenic compounds, heightening the risk of severe inflammatory reactions and systemic dissemination of these allergens. Histological evidence suggests allergic reactions to tattoo inks are often granulomatous in nature, and the inflammatory environment created by laser therapy can exacerbate this granulomatous process, resulting in hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation. Moreover, patients with underlying allergic sensitivities to tattoo pigments are at an elevated risk of systemic complications, including generalized urticaria or angioedema, upon laser treatment. Current evidences suggests tattoos of allergic reactions should be not undergone laser therapy, emphasizing the need for alternative management strategies, such as topical application of corticosteroids or excision in severe cases. Clinicians must conduct a thorough pre-treatment assessment, including the patch testing, to identify potential allergenic inks and avoid laser-based interventions on reactive tattoos to prevent complications and safeguard patient's safety.

How do trees regrow roots after being cut? A new study sheds light on this question using cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics to track how poplar stems regenerate roots. 

In this paper, the authors address that the quality of water affects the health of animals and humans directly due to chemical and microbial pollutants. They advocate an integrated One-Water/One-Health framework to study sources, transport, and impacts of emerging contaminants and pathogens from wastewater. The paper focuses on three key topics: 1) Environmental Virology (using viruses as fecal pollution indicators), 2) Emerging Contaminants (human-altered chemical signatures), and 3) The Wastewater-Water Amalgam (assessing global fecal pollution impacts using new tools). They stress the urgent need to identify at-risk ecosystems and populations by integrating monitoring data, global mapping, and source diagnostics into watershed programs prioritizing viruses, microbial tracking, and emerging contaminants.