Mao-Sen Wang

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This review examines small RNA molecules circulating in the blood — called microRNAs — as potential tools for diagnosing and treating viral myocarditis, a heart inflammation caused by viral infection that is hard to detect early. Recent advances in gene sequencing and AI-based analysis have clarified how these microRNAs regulate the disease process. The authors conclude that circulating microRNAs hold real promise as blood-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets, though clinical application still requires further development.

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Researchers developed a faster, higher-resolution method for mapping the density of energetically excited helium atoms inside plasma jets used in medical and industrial applications. By replacing mechanical laser scanning with a camera-based system and a rotating diffuser to eliminate optical noise, they achieved roughly 10-micrometer spatial resolution across the entire plasma in a single measurement. Results matched computer simulations well, making this approach a practical tool for studying and optimizing plasma jet devices.

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This trial tested whether replacing the standard bismuth compound in a four-drug H. pylori eradication regimen with magaldrate granules was equally effective. Across 557 patients, the magaldrate-based regimens eradicated H. pylori in about 88-89% of patients, matching the 87% rate of the bismuth standard — meeting the non-inferiority threshold. The magaldrate regimen also relieved stomach pain faster and showed a comparable safety profile.

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Researchers tested a gene therapy called NGGT006 that delivers a corrected cholesterol-receptor gene into the liver of patients with a severe inherited condition causing dangerously high LDL cholesterol. At the highest dose, one patient's LDL dropped by 97% over 64 weeks, falling from a life-threatening 11.17 mmol/L to near-normal 0.28 mmol/L. No serious side effects occurred, suggesting high-dose NGGT006 is safe and could be a transformative treatment for this rare disease.

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Researchers traced how Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous hospital-acquired pathogen, evolves resistance to carbapenem antibiotics without using the enzyme (carbapenemase) that most resistant strains rely on. Three specific mutations — in MexR, OprD, and a third regulator — combine to produce high-level resistance, with the OprD protein truncation being the single biggest contributor. Understanding these mutation combinations is critical for anticipating resistance and designing treatment strategies that stay one step ahead.

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A survey of 647 nurses in China found that nurses who are better at storytelling and narrative communication are also better at communicating with angry patients, and that this relationship is partly explained by their capacity for self-reflection. Structural equation modeling confirmed that narrative competence boosts the ability to de-escalate patient anger both directly and indirectly through improved reflection. The findings support adding narrative and reflective training to nursing education as a way to reduce workplace violence.

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Using brain imaging from over 500 individuals, researchers identified a consistent pattern of gray matter volume differences in autism that involves the thalamus, putamen, and cerebellum. The strength of this pattern correlated with scores on standard autism social behavior scales, and the pattern held up when tested on an independent dataset. The findings provide a more reproducible brain-based signature of autism that could support future diagnosis and intervention research.

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Even after hepatitis C virus is completely eliminated by modern antiviral drugs, some patients still develop worsening liver scarring. This study found that a protein called TINAGL1 remains elevated in liver cells after viral clearance and drives continued fibrosis by stabilizing a growth factor that activates scar-forming cells. Blocking TINAGL1 prevented fibrosis progression in mice, making it a promising new target for patients who have been cured of hepatitis C but remain at risk for liver disease.

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This study identified genes linked to a newly recognized form of cell death called PANoptosis that are altered as sepsis progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a particularly deadly complication. A protein called NDRG1 was elevated in ARDS patients, and suppressing it in mice with sepsis reduced lung damage. NDRG1 emerges as a potential therapeutic target to interrupt the immune spiral from sepsis to ARDS.

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Researchers used publicly available cancer genomic databases to identify genes involved in nucleotide metabolism that predict survival in glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain tumor. Four genes — UPP1, CDA, NUDT1, and ADSL — were consistently overactive in patients with worse outcomes and formed the basis of a validated risk-scoring model. These markers could help clinicians stratify patients and point toward new drug targets.

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A new hybrid machine-learning model was built to predict CO2 emissions more accurately, particularly when historical data is limited. The model combines a least-squares support vector machine with an improved optimization algorithm that converges faster and avoids getting stuck in local solutions. Tests on Chinese emissions data showed the hybrid approach outperformed existing models in both accuracy and reliability.

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Four new bacterial species were discovered in soil contaminated by a coking plant and formally classified using genetic and metabolic analysis. One of the new species can break down polycyclic aromatic compounds like naphthalene and tolerate toxic heavy metals simultaneously. Naming and characterizing these organisms expands the catalogue of microbes with potential use in cleaning up chemically contaminated sites.

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Researchers tested a new antibiotic called MRX-8 in mouse models of serious infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. MRX-8 outperformed the existing drug polymyxin B against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli, while performing similarly or slightly worse against resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. These results support MRX-8 as a promising alternative for treating some of the most difficult-to-treat bacterial infections.

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Using WHO monitoring data, researchers tracked how well China implemented recommended policies to prevent and control chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease from 2014 to 2021. China's total policy score rose from 8.5 to 9.5 out of 18 over this period, consistently above the global average but well below top performers like Turkey. Major gaps remain in tobacco control and alcohol regulation, pointing to the highest-impact areas for future policy effort.

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This data-mining study reviewed 88 published papers over the past decade to characterize how researchers build animal models of the three main subtypes of acid reflux disease. Rat models are most common for erosive reflux, while mouse models dominate for non-erosive and Barrett's esophagus variants, and the time to develop the model ranges from one week to over nine months depending on subtype. The patterns reveal that inflammation drives erosive and Barrett's models while gut hypersensitivity is the focus in non-erosive disease, reflecting distinct underlying mechanisms.

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A 62-year-old woman had an unusual gas-filled cyst outside the spinal canal pressing on a lumbar nerve root and causing leg pain. Surgeons used a minimally invasive two-portal endoscopic technique through a back-muscle approach to remove the cyst and relieve the nerve. The patient recovered well, and the case establishes this endoscopic method as a viable option for this rare condition.

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Engineers developed a computer simulation method to predict how high-strength steel behaves when locally heated during stamping — a technique used to reduce cracking and unwanted springback in car body parts. The algorithm accurately predicted both the shape distortion and fracture behavior of U-shaped test components across a range of temperatures and heating zones. The validated model can now guide manufacturers in optimizing heating parameters before committing to physical trials.

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Researchers tested whether measuring a protein called AFP in bile and stool samples, in addition to standard blood tests, could improve early detection of liver cancer. Combining bile AFP with a blood marker called PIVKA-II achieved the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC of 0.965), outperforming any single test alone. The findings suggest bile AFP is a useful add-on test, especially in patients whose blood AFP is not clearly elevated.

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Researchers tracked which donor T cells cause graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) — a life-threatening complication of bone marrow transplantation — by following individual T cell clones across blood and gut tissue over time in 27 transplant patients. They found that specific clusters of aggressive T cells expand in the gut and attack the intestinal lining, while regulatory T cells are simultaneously reprogrammed. The framework identifies new immune circuit targets and potential biomarkers to predict and prevent severe GVHD.

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This study analyzed how asthma's disease burden in China changed from 1990 to 2021 and projected trends to 2050. Older men carry a disproportionately high share of the burden, and while overall rates have shifted, the disease still caused over 100 disability-adjusted life years per 100,000 people in 2021. Controlling modifiable risk factors — including air quality, diet, and vaccination — could substantially cut the projected 2050 burden.

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This study compared two methods for reading PET-CT scans to judge how well chemotherapy is working in patients with a common aggressive lymphoma. The method that measures the percentage drop in radiotracer uptake (ΔSUVmax) was more accurate than the visual scoring system, with 91% accuracy versus a more modest agreement with the gold-standard Lugano criteria. Using both methods together can better predict which patients will respond well to treatment at 12 months.

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Scientists created a cobalt boride catalyst doped with cerium to improve the efficiency of splitting water to produce hydrogen fuel, a process called the oxygen evolution reaction. The cerium-doped version required less energy to drive the reaction than plain cobalt boride and remained stable over time. The results position this material as a scalable, more efficient alternative for green hydrogen production.

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Researchers mapped where forests and vegetation in China's Minjiang River Basin produce carbon-storing capacity versus where cities and developed areas demand it. About 45% of the basin has a mismatch between carbon supply and demand, with urban areas running a consistent deficit. The study provides a spatial framework to guide where conservation, restoration, and carbon offset payments should be prioritized.

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This paper outlines evidence-based nursing practices for managing cancer patients with dangerously low white blood cell counts (neutropenia), covering infection prevention, patient education, mental health support, and team-based care. Specific interventions — including mobile health tools and telehealth — showed measurable improvements in patient adherence and reductions in complications and psychological distress. The authors identify gaps like inconsistent protocols and rural access as priorities for future work.

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Surgeons reviewed outcomes in 63 children who had a malformed vertebra removed from the lower spine to correct a spinal curvature, then looked for factors that predicted whether the spine would tilt sideways afterward. Children whose spine was already significantly off-center before surgery, or whose topmost instrumented vertebra was angled steeply after surgery, were far more likely to develop persistent sideways imbalance. These two findings give surgeons concrete preoperative and intraoperative targets to reduce the risk of this complication.

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Researchers discovered that the combination of three protein receptors — CXCR3, CCR5, and CXCR6 — on the surface of cancer-killing T cells acts as a code that predicts which cells fight tumors effectively versus which ones cause harmful side effects. In mouse and human melanoma, T cells carrying all three receptors were essential for tumor control, while a separate subset drove liver damage from immunotherapy. This surface-marker code offers a practical way to select better T cells for cancer cell therapies and separate tumor-killing activity from toxicity.

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A large brain imaging study comparing 298 autistic and 348 typically developing individuals found that the brain's reward circuit has weaker internal connections in autism, particularly between regions involved in motivation and emotional response. These abnormal connectivity patterns correlated with the severity of social communication difficulties. The results support the idea that disrupted reward signaling underlies the social motivation deficits in autism and could serve as an imaging-based biomarker.

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Brain imaging analysis of 145 children with ADHD found that their attention-related brain networks are less compartmentalized — less able to separate their functional modules — compared to typically developing children. This reduced segregation was linked to worse inattention scores and was present in both main ADHD subtypes (combined and inattentive) and in both boys and girls. The finding points to impaired neural compartmentalization as a shared biological mechanism underlying inattention across ADHD subtypes.

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A multicenter study of nearly 6,000 premature infants with very low birth weight examined whether those diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism during hospitalization had worse outcomes than those without. After adjusting for other risk factors, congenital hypothyroidism was not significantly associated with major complications including chronic lung disease, brain bleeds, or severe eye disease. The authors attribute this reassuring finding to early screening and prompt hormone replacement treatment.

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Using satellite radar and a soil erosion model together, researchers mapped where sediment erodes and where it accumulates in a steep, flood-prone watershed on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. The integrated approach pinpointed specific "hotspot" zones most at risk for debris flows and identified vegetation cover as the dominant factor controlling how much sediment moves through the system. The framework provides a practical tool for prioritizing erosion control and disaster prevention efforts in remote mountain watersheds.

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A specific strain of Bacteroides bacteria, when given to mice fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, reduced body weight, fat accumulation, blood lipid levels, and liver inflammation without affecting healthy mice on a normal diet. The bacteria worked by shifting the balance of gut microbes, raising folate levels in the liver, and increasing the proportion of beneficial polyunsaturated fats in liver tissue. These results support this Bacteroides strain as a probiotic candidate for treating fatty liver disease.

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This study developed an automated method to map changes in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs over decades using freely available Landsat satellite images processed through Google Earth Engine. The framework filters out cloud-contaminated images, corrects unreliable water boundary detections, and fills gaps caused by a known scanner failure in Landsat 7, achieving 96-97% overall accuracy. Compared to an existing global dataset, the new method produced up to 92% more complete time-series records for the three water bodies tested.

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Researchers investigated how photobiomodulation (PBM) — treatment with low-level light — reduces harmful inflammation after spinal cord injury. They found that PBM lowers the production of versican, a matrix protein that normally pushes anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages toward a more inflammatory state. Knocking down versican mimicked the effects of light treatment in reducing inflammation, identifying versican as the molecular link through which PBM exerts its protective effect after spinal cord injury.

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Engineers improved a method for generating two specialized types of laser beams — Bessel beams and axial multifoci beams — by converting two-component optical systems into single, purely phase-modifying elements. The simplified design achieves the same optical performance as the original two-component system but is cheaper to manufacture, easier to align, and more precise. This advance makes these specialized beams more practical for applications in microscopy, laser processing, and optical communications.

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Four new bacterial species — and two entirely new genera — were discovered in soil heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals from industrial activity. The bacteria belong to the Chitinophagaceae family and were formally classified through genome sequencing, metabolic analysis, and evolutionary comparison. Three of the four strains resist toxic chromium and arsenic, and related strains appear widely distributed in polluted environments globally, suggesting potential utility in bioremediation.

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A retrospective study of 120 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis that had not responded to standard treatment compared nerve resection alone versus nerve resection plus a steroid nasal spray (budesonide). The group receiving the combined treatment had significantly better symptom scores and CT findings at every follow-up point, and had fewer complications like scarring and bleeding. Adding steroid nebulization after posterior nasal nerve resection improves both outcomes and safety in this difficult-to-treat condition.

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Using 3D computer models built from CT scans, surgeons calculated how much of the ankle's inner joint surface is visible when the foot is bent forward or backward during surgery for ankle fractures. Dorsiflexion (bending the foot up) exposed the largest portion of the back of the joint surface — about 36% more area than the neutral position — while plantarflexion (pointing the foot down) improved access to the front. These measurements give surgeons practical guidance for positioning the foot to maximize visualization and reduce the need for bone cuts during repair.

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Researchers found that an enzyme called GSTA1 is naturally lower in fatty livers and that restoring its levels — either genetically or with a drug — reduces fat accumulation in liver cells. GSTA1 works by physically grabbing and breaking down a fat-transport protein called FABP1, which cuts off the supply of fatty acids that would otherwise be converted to stored fat. The findings identify GSTA1 as a potential drug target for fatty liver disease, a condition affecting hundreds of millions of people.

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This systematic review examined 17 clinical studies published since 2018 on using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) — a non-invasive brain stimulation technique — to reduce autism symptoms. Across studies, TMS improved repetitive behaviors and verbal social interaction, with the front part of the brain (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) being the most commonly targeted area. The evidence supports TMS as a promising treatment, though most studies had design limitations and larger controlled trials are needed.

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This review summarizes how M2 macrophages — immune cells that suppress inflammation and unintentionally help tumors grow — influence the progression of gastrointestinal stromal tumors and limit the effectiveness of the standard drug imatinib. The authors describe how these macrophages interact with checkpoint proteins (PD-1/PD-L1) and other immune regulators that could be targeted to reactivate anti-tumor immunity. Combining immunotherapy targeting M2 macrophages with imatinib represents a promising direction for patients whose tumors stop responding to the drug alone.

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Two family members developed gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with completely different genetic mutations — one with a PDGFRA gene mutation and one with a wild-type (no known mutation) tumor — demonstrating that families with hereditary GIST predisposition can have members with distinct molecular subtypes. Both patients were treated with imatinib and had favorable outcomes over seven years. The case highlights the need for full molecular testing in all family members when hereditary GIST is suspected, rather than assuming all relatives share the same mutation type.

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Researchers followed 320 women hospitalized for heart attack in Fujian, China, and found that a blood-based index combining fasting triglycerides and glucose (the TyG index) independently predicted major cardiovascular events over the next few years. Women with higher TyG indices had significantly worse outcomes, with the index linked to diabetes, worse clot burden, and more complex interventions. The TyG index is a simple, widely available calculation that could help identify high-risk women with heart attack who may need more aggressive management.

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Lithium isotope ratios preserved in ancient carbonate rocks from South China record what happened to ocean chemistry immediately after the Marinoan snowball Earth glaciation ended 635 million years ago. The data show a clear gradient from nearshore to offshore that matches predictions of a fresh glacial meltwater plume sitting atop denser hypersaline water. This chemical evidence supports the plumeworld hypothesis and confirms that continental weathering was severely suppressed during the glaciation.

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Researchers built a single-pixel imaging system that reconstructs both the brightness and phase of light from an object — the full complex-amplitude — using a neural network that requires no pre-training on labeled images. The network, initialized with random weights, learns from the physics of the measurement itself and produces high-quality images significantly faster than conventional approaches. This advances single-pixel imaging toward practical use in low-light or specialized wavelength applications.

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A study of 212 nurses tested whether emotional intelligence explains how moral sensitivity (caring about doing right) translates into better communication with angry patients. Structural equation modeling confirmed that emotional intelligence fully mediates this relationship — morally sensitive nurses are better communicators because they also have higher emotional intelligence. Nursing educators can use this to justify training programs that develop both moral reasoning and emotional regulation skills together.

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Researchers analyzed expression data from liver cancer patients and identified three apolipoprotein variants — APOL1, APOL3, and APOL6 — that are reliably altered in liver cancer compared to normal liver tissue. APOL1 and APOL6 showed diagnostic value for detecting the cancer, while APOL3 and APOL6 predicted patient survival, validated across multiple independent datasets. These apolipoproteins could be developed into blood-based tests or treatment targets for liver cancer.

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Five new bacterial species were identified and formally classified from soil contaminated with industrial pollutants at an abandoned coking plant. The bacteria belong to two different phyla and can resist toxic heavy metals and degrade aromatic compounds like naphthalene even in the presence of chromium or arsenic. Cataloguing these organisms deepens understanding of microbial life in extreme polluted environments and highlights strains with potential for environmental cleanup applications.

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This meta-analysis of 15 randomized trials involving 2,156 children found that adding the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii to standard antibiotic therapy improved H. pylori eradication rates from 76% to 88%. The probiotic also cut the rate of diarrhea roughly in half and significantly reduced nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal side effects. Adding S. boulardii to H. pylori treatment in children is both more effective and better tolerated than antibiotics alone.

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Using genetic lineage tracing in mice, researchers tested whether bone marrow stromal cells — which support blood cell production — arise from blood vessel cells through a process called endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Contrary to some prior claims based on gene expression patterns, careful cell tracking showed that blood vessel cells rarely convert into stromal cells under normal conditions or during bone marrow recovery after chemotherapy. The study warns that interpreting gene expression data alone, without physical lineage tracking, can produce misleading conclusions about cell origins.