This review evaluates China's first basin-scale aquatic ecosystem monitoring pilot in the Yangtze River Basin and demonstrates that shifting from chemical water-quality compliance to integrated, classification-based ecosystem assessment can support measurable ecological recovery. The review shows how tailoring indicators and targets to distinct rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across the basin can help guide targeted restoration and produce tangible results.

Dogs spontaneously follow the walking direction of a human figure represented by just a few moving dots, yet show no such directional bias when the dots depict another dog. In a study published in Cognitive Science Research, researchers found that dogs respond to directional cues from human biological motion as readily as they do to human head turns, suggesting that domestication may have tuned canine social perception to human movement.

Researchers find rutin alleviates acrylamide‑triggered cerebellar neuron injury and movement disorders in rats. Protection works by reducing oxidative stress and activating PI3K/AKT signaling, offering clues for preventing food‑linked neurotoxicity.

Researchers have developed a dynamic approach to improve the deployment of healthcare workers during disease outbreaks. By considering uncertain medical demand, changing healthcare capacity, and infection risks among healthcare staff, the model helps decision-makers allocate medical resources more effectively across regions. The study provides a practical framework for improving healthcare system resilience and supporting timely responses to public health emergencies.

Even a local mRNA injection can produce unwanted expression in the liver. Researchers have redesigned the lipid nanoparticles that carry mRNA to reduce this spillover in mice while preserving expression in injected muscle. The formulation also supports repeated dosing and improves the confinement of expression after local brain and eye delivery.

Umbilical cord blood is more than a source of stem cells for transplantation. A review in Science China Life Sciences examines how its diverse cells and bioactive components are being explored for cancer immunotherapy, inherited disorders and tissue repair. The authors connect these opportunities with advances in cell expansion, gene engineering and manufacturing, while identifying barriers to clinical translation. They emphasize that many emerging applications still require further evidence of safety, effectiveness and durable benefit.