A small, nest-dwelling tick found across large parts of Texas could play an outsized role in how the United States responds to African swine fever (ASF) should the virus reach domestic or wild pigs.

In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Department of Biology mapped where Ornithodoros turicata — a soft tick species native to Texas and the southwestern United States — is most likely to survive and examined what that means for ASF preparedness.

The study is part of a $1.4 million Department of Homeland Security-funded research project through the Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense (CBTS), DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Center of Excellence housed at Texas A&M. Led by Dr. Meriam Saleh, a clinical assistant professor in VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, this project seeks to understand whether Texas-derived populations of the tick could help sustain or transmit the virus if it were introduced into the U.S. — and how that risk could affect the food supply, trade and cross-border livestock movement. By supporting research at the intersection of animal health, border security and supply chain resilience, CBTS helps address emerging transboundary threats before they escalate into large-scale economic or homeland security challenges.

Fatigue is physical and mental exhaustion that can often be an early sign of severe health conditions. Current treatments for fatigue are mostly behavioral, including light physical activity, improved diet, stress reduction, and rest. Researchers are studying additional ways to manage fatigue, including supplements and enriched foods.

On 1 August 2025, China's GBZ 337–2025 Diagnostic Standard for Occupational Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder came into force.1 For the first time, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency responders, including police, firefighters and medical personnel, has been formally recognised as an occupational condition, eligible for compensation under the country's occupational injury system. This move marks a significant institutional acknowledgement that psychological trauma can be as disabling and deserving of protection as physical injury. Far from an isolated policy decision, GBZ 337–2025 marks a milestone in decades of evolving scientific understanding, public awareness and policy development, shaped by the lived experiences of natural disasters and public health emergencies in China.

Published in Engineering, this review systematically sorts interdisciplinary engineering therapies for spinal cord injury. It analyzes the three-stage secondary pathological cascade after trauma and elaborates five core intervention branches including neuromodulation, cell transplantation, and functional biomaterials. The article also identifies major translational obstacles and advocates integrated multimodal treatment plus cross-field cooperation to speed clinical transformation of SCI repair technologies.