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Tenecteplase in Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis

RCT: Among patients with obstructive prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, tenecteplase achieved higher complete thrombolytic success (97.5%) than alteplase (81.5%) and a shorter hospital stay.


Question What is the safety and efficacy of a single bolus of intravenous tenecteplase as compared with a low-dose slow-infusion protocol of alteplase in patients with obstructive mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis?

Findings In this randomized clinical trial including 83 patients, tenecteplase was found to have noninferior rates of complete thrombolytic therapy success compared with alteplase. There was no difference in adverse events between the 2 groups.

Meaning Study results show that a regimen of bolus-dose tenecteplase may be a safe and efficacious alternative to current therapy for patients with prosthetic heart valve thrombosis.

Using data to reduce subjectivity in landslide susceptibility mapping

In recent years, numerous landslides on hillsides in urban and rural areas have underscored that understanding and predicting these phenomena is more than an academic curiosity—it is a human necessity. When unstable slopes give way after intense rainfall, the consequences can be devastating, with both human and material losses. These recurring tragedies led us to a simple yet powerful question: Can we build landslide susceptibility maps that are more objective, transparent, and useful for local authorities and residents?

The answer led us to compare two susceptibility analysis methods: the traditional Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and its statistical version, the Gaussian AHP. After months of multidisciplinary work, we found that the Gaussian AHP, which relies on data rather than subjective judgments, better identifies critical areas in a more balanced manner and is consistent with the landslide patterns observed in the field. We share here our journey and the lessons we learned. Our findings are published in Scientific Reports.

Traditional AHP is a decision-support technique widely used in geosciences and urban planning. It relies on pairwise comparisons of factors such as slope, soil type, and distance to rivers or roads to assign relative weights based on expert opinion. One advantage is that it allows the incorporation of accumulated experience; a disadvantage is the subjectivity and the effort required when many factors are involved. In our case, we worked with 16 physical and environmental variables that influence slope instability—from terrain morphometry to land cover and proximity to rivers.

Abstract: Over 100 years ago, platelets were observed to interact with neutrophils in a blood clot

Eric Boilard & team now detail platelet-neutrophil interactions as being more abundant in arthritic mice than in healthy mice, reporting neutrophils migrate in tissue to play a pathogenic role in autoimmune arthritis and noting that they fail to migrate in the absence of platelets:

Image credit: Emma Bourgeault (emmabourgeault).


1Faculté de Médecine de l’Université Laval, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.

2Centre de Recherche ARThrite – Arthrite, Recherche, Traitements, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.

3Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires du Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.

17 Month Life Extension Headed to Human Trial!

New preprint reports 17-month lifespan extension in mice with some living nearly 5 years. The intervention targets immune aging through CD4+ T cells and is expected to enter human trials in 2026.
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A new preprint by Lanna et al. reports one of the largest lifespan extensions ever seen in mice; approximately 17 months, with some mice living close to 5 years. The study focuses on metabolically reprogramming CD4+ T cells from aged mice using a peptide called DOS, which enables these cells to produce \.

A Manufacturing Approach That Brings Diamond Quantum Photonics Closer To Industrial Production (MIT, KAUST et al.)

“Foundry-Enabled Patterning of Diamond Quantum Microchiplets for Scalable Quantum Photonics” was published by researchers at MIT, KAUST, PhotonFoundries and MITRE.

Abstract

Quantum technologies promise secure communication networks and powerful new forms of information processing, but building these systems at scale remains a major challenge. Diamond is an especially attractive material for quantum devices because it can host atomic-scale defects that emit single photons and store quantum information with exceptional stability. However, fabricating the optical structures needed to control light in diamond typically relies on slow, bespoke processes that are difficult to scale. In this work, we introduce a manufacturing approach that brings diamond quantum photonics closer to industrial production. Instead of sequentially defining each device by lithography written directly on diamond, we fabricate high-precision silicon masks using commercial semiconductor foundries and transfer them onto diamond via microtransfer printing.

Hypoxia tolerance of intertidal triplefin fish is associated with low critical oxygen tension and high phosphorylating capacity in brain mitochondria

At the terminus of the O2 cascade, mitochondria play an important role in O2 utilisation and energy conservation, with adaptive modifications occasionally shared among hypoxia-tolerant species. Here, we sought to determine whether mitochondrial adaptations in brain tissue explain the hypoxia tolerance of New Zealand triplefin fishes (Tripterygiidae). We compared two intertidal species (Bellapiscis medius and Forsterygion lapillum), both likely adapted to hypoxia-reoxygenation exposures, and two subtidal species (F. varium and F. malcomi), which inhabit normoxic waters. To assess hypoxia tolerance, we determined loss of equilibrium (LOE) during hypoxia exposure and measured the critical O2 tension (Pcrit). Intertidal species displayed superior hypoxia tolerance as assessed by LOE and also had lower Pcrit (LOE versus Pcrit R2 = 0.99).

Zinc and hydroxyapatite co-localize during in vitro E. coli biofilms mineralization

Biofilms are biological materials that form as bacteria protect themselves from environmental challenges secreting extracellular matrix and accumulating minerals under specific conditions. To understand biofilm formation and mineralization, we grew Escherichia coli on agar plates containing a nutritive and mineralizing medium. Previous studies showed that the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) present in E. coli biofilms leads to hydroxyapatite precipitation in such conditions. Here, we introduced X-ray fluorescence techniques as powerful tools to analyze the composition of mineralized biofilms in two and three dimensions. In addition to calcium and phosphate, we found that the traces of zinc introduced via the nutrients and bacteria, also accumulates in the mineralized regions.

How sleep loss can damage your brain’s wiring

Sleep loss damages the fatty insulation protecting the nerve cells in our brain, according to a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research also explains why we often feel slow and groggy after a bad night’s sleep.

Most of us will experience sleep loss at one time or another and suffer the consequences of tiredness and slower reactions the next day. The biological mechanisms for these are not well understood and often attributed to tired or overworked neurons. Researchers led by scientists at the University of Camerino in Italy thought there might be other factors at play, so they decided to investigate.

Neuroimmune axis in gastrointestinal cancers: From mechanisms to therapeutic breakthrough

Targeting the neuro-immuno-tumor axis in GI cancer👇

✅Recent advances in cancer biology highlight the neuro-immuno-tumor axis as a critical regulatory network within the gastrointestinal (GI) tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumors are closely innervated, and neural signals actively shape immune cell behavior, influencing disease progression and therapeutic response.

✅A key first step toward translational impact is the identification of dominant neuroimmune pathways operating in GI cancers. Understanding how neural inputs interact with tumor cells and infiltrating immune populations provides a mechanistic framework for disrupting pro-tumor signaling circuits.

✅Pharmacological strategies offer promising opportunities for therapeutic repurposing. β-blockers such as propranolol can attenuate stress-related adrenergic signaling, while CGRP antagonists like rimegepant target nociceptor-derived immunosuppressive cues. In parallel, serotonin inhibitors, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may modulate enteric and immune signaling to rebalance anti-tumor immunity.

✅Beyond drug-based approaches, surgical interventions such as vagotomy illustrate how physical disruption of neural inputs can reshape the tumor ecosystem. These strategies underscore the concept that nerves are not passive bystanders, but active drivers of tumor–immune interactions.

✅Together, these insights position the neuro-immuno-tumor axis as a powerful and underexplored therapeutic target. By integrating neurobiology with cancer immunology, future treatments may unlock more effective and durable anti-tumor responses in GI cancers.


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