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The Southern Array for the Lithosphere and Uplift of Taiwan Experiment (SALUTE) provides a new window into the subduction‐collision transition zone in southern Taiwan, where the Eurasian Plate‐Luzon Arc convergence drives intense orogeny and crustal deformation. Using dense P‐ and S‐wave spectral amplitude data recorded by SALUTE and a quality factor (Q) tomography, we image attenuation structures with improved clarity of features. Results delineate sharp attenuation contrasts across major faults, reflecting juxtaposition of distinct lithological domains, and broad low Q and QP/QS anomalies within internally deformed regions not resolved by velocity tomography. Our models closely match mapped fault geometries and, for the first time, unravel the offshore forearc block as a northward‐dipping (∼15°), narrowing low‐QP volume and the spatial coincidence of low Q and QP/QS anomalies with tectonic tremor, which highlight the diagnostic value of attenuation imaging for fault‐related hazards, forearc deformation, fluid‐facilitated processes, and orogenic dynamics in southern Taiwan.

Despite recent insight regarding the history and current state of the Moon from satellite sensing and analyses of limited Apollo-era seismic data, deficiencies remain in our understanding of the deep lunar interior. We reanalyzed Apollo lunar seismograms using array-processing methods to search for the presence of reflected and converted seismic energy from the core. Our results suggest the presence of a solid inner and fluid outer core, overlain by a partially molten boundary layer. The relative sizes of the inner and outer core suggest that the core is approximately 60% liquid by volume. Based on phase diagrams of iron alloys and the presence of partial melt, the core probably contains less than 6 weight % of lighter alloying components, which is consistent with a volatile-depleted interior.

The proliferation of drug-resistant pathogens continues to increase, giving rise to serious public health concerns. Many researchers have formulated metal oxide nanoparticles for use as novel antibacterial agents. In the present study, copper oxide (CuO) was synthesized by simple hydrothermal synthesis, and doping was performed to introduce different polymers onto the NP surface for bacteriostasis optimization. The polymer-modified CuO NPs were analyzed further with XRD, FTIR, TEM, DLS and zeta potential to study their morphology, size, and the charge of the substrate. The results indicate that polymer-modified CuO NPs had a significantly higher bacteriostatic rate than unmodified CuO NPs. In particular, polydopamine (PDA)-modified CuO (CuO-PDA) NPs, which carry a weakly negative surface charge, exhibited excellent antibacterial effects, with a bacteriostatic rate of up to 85.8 ± 0.2% within 3 h. When compared to other polymer-modified CuO NPs, CuO-PDA NPs exhibited superior bacteriostatic activity due to their smaller size, surface charge, and favorable van der Waals interactions. This may be attributed to the fact that the CuO-PDA NPs had relatively lipophilic structures at pH 7.4, which increased their affinity for the lipopolysaccharide-containing outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli.

Frailty epitomizes the most complex consequence of an aging population. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of frailty, measured using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), on outcomes of older people in an emergency department (ED). We conducted a prospective observational study enrolling patients aged 65 years and older in a medical center of Taiwan between March 8, 2021, and November 30, 2021. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality rate. Individuals were categorized into three groups based on the CFS scores. Logistic regression was employed to examine the influence of frailty on clinical outcomes following covariate adjustment. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and Log rank tests. A total of 473 individuals were included in the study, with a mean age of 82.1 years, and 60.5% of them were males. The 90-day mortality rate was 10.6%. Among these groups, the CFS score 7-9 group had the highest 90-day mortality rate (15.9%), followed by the CFS score 4-6 group (8.0%) and the CFS score 1-3 group (7.1%). The multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrated a significant impact of CFS score on prognosis, with adjusted odd ratios of 1.24 (95% CI 1.06-1.47) for 90-day mortality, 1.18 (95% CI 1.06-1.31) for hospitalization, and 1.30 (95% CI 1.12-1.52) for 180-day mortality. The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed a significantly higher 90-day mortality rate for patients with high CFS scores (Log rank tests, p = 0.019). In the older ED population, the severity of frailty assessed by the CFS emerged as a significant and important prognostic factor for hospitalization, 90-day mortality, and 180-day mortality.

We have prepared and tested a new surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on self-assembled graphitic sheets to detect bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic consumer goods. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the structure of the graphitic sheets and showed a lattice spacing of 0.24 nm and layer height of 0.34 nm. These values were comparable to single monolayer graphene. The effective SERS detection limit of this method is 1 μM BPA, which is lower than the European Union specific migration limit for BPA of 0.6 mg/kg (2.6 μM). When used in salt solutions, graphitic sheets exhibited ultra-sensitivity toward BPA of 0.025 M to 2 M, which was broader than physiological ionic strength (0.14 M) and urinary NaCl (0.17 M). Our results demonstrated that this graphitic sheet based SERS detection platform can be used to determine BPA levels leached from commercial polycarbonate plastic products and for on-site rapid analysis with good results.

Two complete chloroplast genome sequences of Asteropyrum , as well as those of 25 other species from Ranunculaceae, were assembled using both Illumina and Sanger sequencing methods to address the structural variation of the cp genome and the controversial systematic position of the genus. Synteny and plastome structure were compared across the family. The cp genomes of the only two subspecies of Asteropyrum were found to be differentiated with marked sequence variation and different inverted repeat-single copy (IR-SC) borders. The plastomes of both subspecies contains 112 genes. However, the IR region of subspecies peltatum carries 27 genes, whereas that of subspecies cavaleriei has only 25 genes. Gene inversions, transpositions, and IR expansion-contraction were very commonly detected in Ranunculaceae. The plastome of Asteropyrum has the longest IR regions in the family, but has no gene inversions or transpositions. Non-coding regions of the cp genome were not ideal markers for inferring the generic relationships of the family, but they may be applied to interpret species relationship within the genus. Plastid phylogenomic analysis using complete cp genome with Bayesian method and partitioned modeling obtained a fully resolved phylogenetic framework for Ranunculaceae. Asteropyrum was detected to be sister to Caltha , and diverged early from subfamily Ranunculoideae.

This study aims to investigate the ritual of a peculiar scripture entitled Chinshō yasha-hō 鎮將夜叉法 (Ch. Zhenjiang yecha fa. “Tantric Ritual of Chinshō Yakṣa”). The Japanese deity Chinshō Yakṣa is a Tendai variation of Vaiśravaṇa (Ch. Pishamen/Jp. Bishamon 毘沙門), a heavenly king who vowed to protect Buddhism. The ritual of Chinshō Yakṣa is a major ritual in Tendai Esotericism. It has been traditionally accepted that this scripture was transmitted from China. Modern scholarship, however, suspects that this ritual is Saichō’s 最澄 (767–822) invention. This study examines the contents and characters involved in this ritual manual by comparing other ritual manuals of Vaiśravaṇa. In analysing its liturgical aspect, as well as its textual relationship with other ritual manuals, this paper illustrates how the Chinshō yasha-hō deviates from the other ritual manuals and evaluates the possible sources or origins regarding the formation of this ritual. Similar mudrās and mantras that appear in both the Chinshō yasha-hō and other texts were identified, implying that the Chinshō yasha-hō might have drawn from multiple sources. Moreover, judging from its similarity with Chinese Tiantai ritual manuals and other texts that were forged in the Tang dynasty, it is possible that Tang China and Japan saw a period of active ritual invention.

HLA‐G is considered as an immune checkpoint protein and a tumor‐associated antigen. In the previous work, it is reported that CAR‐NK targeting of HLA‐G can be used to treat certain solid tumors. However, the frequent co‐expression of PD‐L1 and HLA‐G) and up‐regulation of PD‐L1 after adoptive immunotherapy may decrease the effectiveness of HLA‐G‐CAR. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of HLA‐G and PD‐L1 by multi‐specific CAR could represent an appropriate solution. Furthermore, gamma‐delta T (γδT) cells exhibit MHC‐independent cytotoxicity against tumor cells and possess allogeneic potential. The utilization of nanobodies offers flexibility for CAR engineering and the ability to recognize novel epitopes. In this study, Vδ2 γδT cells are used as effector cells and electroporated with an mRNA‐driven, nanobody‐based HLA‐G‐CAR with a secreted PD‐L1/CD3ε Bispecific T‐cell engager (BiTE) construct (Nb‐CAR.BiTE). Both in vivo and in vitro experiments reveal that the Nb‐CAR.BiTE‐γδT cells could effectively eliminate PD‐L1 and/or HLA‐G‐positive solid tumors. The secreted PD‐L1/CD3ε Nb‐BiTE can not only redirect Nb‐CAR‐γδT but also recruit un‐transduced bystander T cells against tumor cells expressing PD‐L1, thereby enhancing the activity of Nb‐CAR‐γδT therapy. Furthermore, evidence is provided that Nb‐CAR.BiTE redirectes γδT into tumor‐implanted tissues and that the secreted Nb‐BiTE is restricted to the tumor site without apparent toxicity. Elevated PD‐L1 in solid tumors increases the risk of immune escape from HLA‐G‐CAR cell therapy. The bicistronic mRNA construct that drives PD‐L1 Nb‐BiTE and HLA‐G Nb‐CAR in γδT cells via electroporation is designed to address this issue. This Nb‐CAR.BiTE‐γδT therapy can overcome HLA‐G and PD‐L1 dilemma and even kill tumor cells with inadequate antigen expression, resulting in potent anti‐tumor activity without apparent toxicity.

This contribution examines how contemporary exhibition practices engage with biological otherness through the interplay of material, technological mediation and curatorial practice. It explores how organisms and materials often considered marginal, such as viruses, microbial life, dust, and ash, can operate as co-authors in exhibition-making, unsettling hierarchies and binary frameworks that privilege human perception and control. Biological matter becomes a medium for thinking with and through nonhuman perspectives, revealing entangled temporalities, rhythms, and ecologies that exceed conventional scales of perception. Through three case studies: Living Ashes II, Studies of Interbeing—Trance 1:1, and The Materialised Temporality of Dust, the paper interrogates how decomposition, infection, and microscopic life are translated into relational, multisensory experiences. In Living Ashes II, protocells and ash are staged as agents of emergent vitality; in Studies of Interbeing—Trance 1:1, SARS-CoV-2 is re-materialised through textile and performative practices, fostering intimacy and affective encounter; and in The Materialised Temporality of Dust, immersive VR and spatial sound render microbial and dust temporalities perceptible within architectural space. Across these projects, digital technologies function not as neutral instruments but as active mediators, shaping the conditions under which nonhuman agency, vibrancy, and unpredictability are apprehended. Collectively, these works demonstrate that exhibitions can operate as relational laboratories in which biological otherness is co-produced, negotiated and experienced. They foreground an ethic of care and attunement, emphasising the multispecies, temporal, and technological entanglements that redefine what it means to exhibit living and non-living matter in the digital age.

While it is recognised that the numbers of students needing accessibility supports and accommodations are increasing exponentially, research on accommodations during the COVID-19 pandemic is still sparse. The purpose of the current study was to explore special education teachers’ accommodation practices at secondary schools before and during the unprecedented time of COVID-19. To better understand the experiences of participating teachers, we engaged seven teachers from a prairie province in Canada with one-on-one online semi-structured interviews. Teachers who offered accommodations to students before COVID-19 used a range of accommodations such as general technologies and assistive technology that fall into major categories of accommodations as defined by research. Evidence from this study indicates that some teachers delivered learning packages to homes or taught online classes during school closures, while some teachers did not. Teachers who taught remotely changed some of their accommodation practices during the school closures because in-person classes were switched to online learning. The implications for professional development are also discussed in this paper.