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Owing to the increase in multidrug‐resistant bacterial isolates in hospitals globally and the lack of truly effective antimicrobial agents, antibiotic resistant bacterial infections have increased substantially. There is thus an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial drugs and their related formulations. In recent years, natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), AMP optimization, self‐assembled AMPs, AMP hydrogels, and biomaterial‐assisted delivery of AMPs have shown great potential in the treatment of bacterial infections. In this review, it is focused on the development prospects and shortcomings of various AMP‐based biomaterials for treating animal model infections, such as abdominal, skin, and eye infections. It is hoped that this review will inspire further innovations in the design of AMP‐based biomaterials for the treatment of bacterial infections and accelerate their commercialization. Owing to the increase in drug‐resistant bacteria and the lack of truly effective bacteriostatic agents, it is urgent to explore and design new nonantibiotic bacteriostatic agents with potential. Antimicrobial peptide (AMP)‐based biomaterials are explored as antibacterial agents for treating infections. This article focuses on the therapeutic efficacy and potential of various AMP‐based biomaterials in animal models of bacterial infections.

Aims The aims of this study were (1) to assess which intercropping system is feasible in enhancing soil moisture and promoting crop root growth and (2) to integrate crop root data to assess which intercropping system can reduce interspecific competition and thus increase system productivity. The optimal cropping system was determined by calculating the land equivalent ratio. Methods In this study, we designed two intercropping systems (intercropped apple–soybean and intercropped apple–alfalfa) and three monocropping systems (monocropped apple, monocropped soybean and monocropped alfalfa) that analysed the effects of these intercropping systems on soil moisture, crop roots, interspecific relationships and yields to determine the most suitable cropping system for local promotion. Results Within 50–200 cm from the tree, the apple–soybean intercropping and apple–alfalfa intercropping systems increased soil moisture by 27.91% and 30.23%, respectively, compared to apple monocropping. The root system of intercropped apple was mainly distributed in 20–40 cm soil depth, while the root system of intercropped soybean and intercropped alfalfa moved to shallower soil layers, mainly in 0–20 cm soil depth. In addition, within the distance of 100–200 cm from the tree, soybeans were more competitive than apples and apples were more competitive than alfalfa, whereas apples were more competitive than soybeans and alfalfa at 20–60 cm soil depth. The land equivalent ratio for apple–soybean intercropping system was 1.34 and for the apple–alfalfa intercropping system was 1.18. On balance, apple–soybean intercropping system was more suitable for local promotion. Conclusions These results showed that apple–soybean intercropping system has less interspecific competition than apple–alfalfa intercropping system and that the system is more productive and more suitable for local extension.

The high Zn ion desolvation energy, sluggish Zn deposition kinetics, and top Zn plating pattern are the key challenges toward practical Zn anodes. Herein, these key issues are addressed by introducing zinc pyrovanadate (ZVO) as a solid zinc‐ion conductor interface to induce smooth and fast Zn deposition underneath the layer. Electrochemical studies, computational analysis, and in situ observations reveal the boosted desolvation and deposition kinetics, and uniformity by ZVO interface. In addition, the anti‐corrosion ability of Zn anodes is improved, resulting in high Zn stripping/plating reversibility. Consequently, the ZVO layer renders fast rechargeability and durable life in both Zn symmetric cells (1050 h at 10 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2) and Zn/V2O5 batteries (79.1% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 2 A g−1) with low electrode polarization. This work provides insights into the design of solid zinc‐ion conductor interface to enhance the interface stability and kinetics of Zn metal anodes. A solid electrolyte interface is rationally designed to endow fast and durable Zn anodes by simultaneously lowering the zinc ion desolvation energy barrier, improving the Zn deposition kinetics, and enabling underneath Zn plating.

Physical erosion and chemical weathering rates beneath glaciers are expected to increase in a warming climate with enhanced melting but are poorly constrained. We present a global dataset of cations in meltwaters of 77 glaciers, including new data from 19 Asian glaciers. Our study shows that contemporary cation denudation rates (CDRs) beneath glaciers (2174 ± 977 Σ*meq+ m−2 year−1) are ~3 times higher than two decades ago, up to 10 times higher than ice sheet catchments (~150-2000 Σ*meq+ m−2 year−1), up to 50 times higher than whole ice sheet means (~30-45 Σ*meq+ m−2 year−1) and ~4 times higher than major non-glacial riverine means (~500 Σ*meq+ m−2 year−1). Glacial CDRs are positively correlated with air temperature, suggesting glacial chemical weathering yields are likely to increase in future. Our findings highlight that chemical weathering beneath glaciers is more intense than many other terrestrial systems and may become increasingly important for regional biogeochemical cycles.

Mallards inhabit soft grounds such as mudflats, marshes, and beaches, demonstrating remarkable proficiency in traversing these grounds. This adeptness is closely linked to the adjustments in the operation of their hindlimbs. This study employs high-speed videography to observe postural adjustments during locomotion across mudflats. Analysis of spatiotemporal parameters of the hindlimbs reveals transient and continuous changes in joints (tarsometatarso-phalangeal joint (TMTPJ), intertarsal joint (ITJ), knee, and hip) during movement on different ground hardness and slope (horizontal and uphill). The results indicate that as the stride length of the mallard increases, its speed also increases. Additionally, the stance phase duration decreases, leading to a decrease in the duty factor. Reduced ground hardness and increased slope lead to delayed adjustment of the TMTPJ, ITJ, and knee. Mallards adjust their stride length by augmenting ITJ flexion on steeper slopes, while reduced hardness prompts a decrease in TMTPJ flexion at touch-down. Additionally, the hip undergoes two brief extensions during the stance phase, indicating its crucial role in posture adjustment and propulsion on uphill grounds. Overall, the hindlimb joints of the mallard function as a whole musculoskeletal system, with each joint employing a distinct strategy for adjusting to adapt to various ground conditions.

The territories between urban and rural areas, also called urban–rural fringe, commonly present inherent instability and notable heterogeneity. However, investigating the multifaceted urban–rural fringe phenomenon based on large-scale identification has yet to be undertaken. In this study, we adopted a handy clustering-based method by incorporating multidimensional urbanization indicators to understand how the urban–rural fringe development vary across space and shift over time in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China. The results show that (1) the growth magnitude of urban–rural fringe areas was greater than urban areas, whereas their growth rate was remarkably lower. (2) The landscape dynamics of urban–rural fringe varied markedly between fast-developing and slow-developing cities. Peripheral sprawl, inter-urban bridge, and isolated growth were the representative development patterns of urban–rural fringe in this case. (3) Urban–rural fringe development has predominantly occurred where cultivated land is available, and significant inter-provincial differences and tendency shifts have been found in the land cover change processes therein. Our findings indicate that the urban–rural fringe development should be considered as a stage-dependent and place-specific process. This work extends previous knowledge by unraveling the diversity of urban–rural fringe in a fast urbanizing region, and can provide insights into reorienting the spatial planning and land use management within the urban–rural interface.

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and safety of single-agent programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor in the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) locally advanced colorectal cancer (LACRC) through single-center large⁃sample analysis based on real⁃world data in China.MethodsThis study was a retrospective, single-center, case series study. 33 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with clinical stage of T3~4N0~2M0 treated in Yunnan Cancer Hospital from June 2019 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 32 patients were dMMR or MSI-H or both dMMR and MSI-H, and one patient was both dMMR and microsatellite stability (MSS) (excluded in the final analysis). All 32 patients received neoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIT) with single-agent PD⁃1 inhibitor.ResultsAmong the 32 patients, 8 (25%) were locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and 24 (75%) were locally advanced colon cancer (LACC); 4 (12.55%) were stage II and 28 (87.5%) were stage III. The median number of cycles of 32 patients with dMMR/MSI-H LACRC receiving nIT with single-agent PD-1 blockade was 6 (4~10), and the median number of cycles to achieve partial response (PR) was 3 (2~4). Among them, three LARC patients achieved clinical complete response (cCR) and adopted the watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy. The objective response rate (ORR) of the other 29 patients with radical surgery was 100% (29/29), the pathological response rate was 100% (29/29), the rate of major pathological response (MPR) was 86.2% (25/29), and the rate of pathological complete response (pCR) was 75.9% (22/29). The incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in 32 patients during nIT was 37.5% (12/32), while the incidence of irAEs in 22 patients with operation during adjuvant immunotherapy was 27.3% (6/22), all of which were grade 1~2. No grade 3 or above irAEs were occured. The median time from the last nIT to surgery was 27 (16~42) days. There were no delayed radical resection due to irAEs in these patients. All 29 patients achieved R0 resection. The incidence of surgical-related adverse events (srAEs) in perioperative period was 10.3% (3/29).ConclusionsNeoadjuvant monoimmunotherapy with PD-1 inhibitor has favorable ORR and pCR rate, and relatively low incidences of irAEs and srAEs for patients with dMMR/MSI-H LACRC, suggesting that this nIT regimen of single-agent PD-1 inhibitor is significantly effective and sufficiently safe.

Coarse-grained subgrade fill has traditionally been considered frost-heave-insensitive. However, uneven frost heave in such materials has become a critical constraint for high-speed railways (HSRs) in cold regions. Short-wavelength uneven frost heave induces poor sleeper-ballast contact, leading to track geometry irregularities and localized sleeper hanging. Existing frost heave evaluation methods remain inadequate for diverse conditions. Unidirectional freezing tests were performed using a self-developed apparatus to analyze temperature evolution, moisture redistribution, and frost heave development under varying cold-end temperatures (− 2 to − 15 °C). The findings reveal that moderate temperatures (− 2 to − 5 °C) promoted water-vapor-dependent heave, while severe conditions (− 10 to − 15 °C) suppressed heave despite water supply. Combining these results with literature data, Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were developed to predict frost heave rates from seven factors, with XGBoost showing superior accuracy ( R² = 0.991 and RMSE  = 0.092 for the test set). Variable importance analysis identifies fines content, initial water content, and water supply condition as dominant controlling factors. The study provides a useful reference for the preliminary evaluation of the frost heave behavior of HSR subgrades.

Digital chest tomosynthesis (DCT) has been clinically validated to offer significant advantages in diagnostic efficiency for pulmonary diseases and radiation dose reduction. Emerging stationary DCT (sDCT) systems can further shorten acquisition time and eliminate motion artifacts caused by X-ray source movement and patient respiration. This work focuses on the development of a multi-beam X-ray source for mobile sDCT systems by specification definition, source design, and experimental validation. The developed X-ray tube integrates 63 focal spots arranged linearly over a length of 816 mm. X-rays are emitted through seven segmented windows, achieving an angular span of 36° at a source image distance (SID) of 120 cm, with full coverage of a detector area of 35.6 cm × 43.2 cm. The tube operates at a maximum anode voltage of 140 kV, maximum anode current of 20 mA, and 24 mAs per scan, with a focal spot size of IEC 0.6. The developed multi-beam X-ray source achieves multiple key performance breakthroughs and provides an alternative source architecture for future sDCT implementation, with the potential to facilitate further system performance optimization and engineering development.