Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 23:  | An injectable hydrogel delivering lacosamide directly into osteoarthritic joints reduced pain and promoted cartilage repair in preclinical models. The hydrogel enabled sustained, localized drug release, outperforming oral administration in preventing cartilage loss. Lacosamide targets the Nav1.7 sodium channel in chondrocytes, modulating both pain signaling and cartilage degradation. | | |  | Attempting to split a single photon using a fast optical shutter does not yield two smaller photons but instead generates a quantum superposition containing infinitely many photons due to disturbances in the electromagnetic field's quantum fluctuations. Locally, the system appears unchanged, but globally, the quantum state becomes highly complex, illustrating the non-classical behavior of quantum particles. | | |  | Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are the most well-tolerated antihypertensive drugs, with the lowest rates of treatment discontinuation, even compared to placebo. The combination of an ARB with a calcium channel blocker (CCB) is the best tolerated among drug combinations, while CCB monotherapy and beta-blocker plus diuretic regimens are associated with higher rates of side effects and discontinuation. | | |  | In patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer and specific gene mutations such as BRCA1/2, combining talazoparib with enzalutamide reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 52% compared to enzalutamide alone. After three years, radiographic progression-free survival was 77% with the combination versus 56% with monotherapy, without significant deterioration in patient-reported outcomes. | | |  | Intermittent fasting reduces body weight and BMI across age groups, but a significant portion of weight lost is lean muscle mass, especially concerning for older adults. Resistance training and increased protein intake help preserve muscle during fasting. LDL cholesterol levels may rise with intermittent fasting, necessitating regular lipid monitoring. Age influences metabolic responses, highlighting the need for individualized fasting strategies. | | |  | Major elective surgery in adults aged 70 and older is associated with accelerated and progressive cognitive decline in approximately 15% of patients, particularly among those who are older, have lower preoperative cognitive scores, or develop postoperative delirium. Delirium emerged as the strongest predictor, doubling the risk of severe long-term cognitive deterioration. | | |  | Praearcturus gigas, identified from 415-million-year-old fossils in the UK, is confirmed as the largest known scorpion, exceeding one meter in length. This species lived during the Early Devonian, when terrestrial ecosystems were nascent, and likely dominated both land and aquatic environments as a top predator. Its anatomy confirms its scorpion identity and suggests a complex evolutionary history involving transitions between land and water. The findings provide new insights into early arthropod evolution and the colonization of land. | | |  | Queen honeybee development depends not only on royal jelly diet but also on specialized nursery chambers constructed by young worker bees. These queen cells, built from distinct wax with unique physical and chemical properties, provide optimal warmth and moisture, significantly influencing larval survival and queen quality. Dedicated "queen cell builder" workers maintain these environments, indicating that queen production is a complex, socially coordinated process. | | |  | An 84.1-meter Taiwania cryptomerioides, identified using LiDAR and citizen science, is now recognized as East Asia's tallest tree. Taiwan's rugged terrain has preserved old-growth forests, enabling the survival of numerous giant trees, with over 941 individuals exceeding 65 meters. These forests exhibit extremely high carbon density (1,384.5 Mg/ha), making them globally significant carbon sinks. | | |  | Biohybrid microrobots combining neural progenitor cells with magnetoelectric nanoparticles can be magnetically guided to spinal cord injury sites, where external magnetic fields induce electrical stimulation, promoting stem cell differentiation and tissue repair. In zebrafish and mice models, this approach restored motor function and enabled nerve reconnection without adverse effects, offering a minimally invasive alternative to electrode-based therapies. | | |  | Remote work is associated with increased social isolation, more time spent alone, and a higher likelihood of days without human contact, particularly among individuals living alone. This shift accounts for about one-third of the rise in mental distress in the U.S. from pre- to post-pandemic periods, with remote workers showing a 50% increase in prescriptions for depression and anxiety medications. | | |  | El Mirón Cave in Cantabria, Spain, preserves a 40,000-year sequence of human occupation, spanning from the last Neanderthals through the Bronze Age. Excavations have revealed evidence of changing subsistence strategies, early agriculture, metallurgy, and significant finds such as the Magdalenian-period "Red Lady" burial. Ancient DNA and isotopic analyses have provided insights into population movements, diet, and microbiomes, reshaping understanding of prehistoric Iberia and Western Europe. | | |  | Creatine enhances the function and survival of dendritic cells, which are essential for activating T cells in anti-tumor immunity. In mouse models, creatine supplementation increased dendritic cell activation, slowed tumor growth, and improved T cell responses. Similar effects were observed in human dendritic cells in vitro, suggesting potential for creatine to augment immunotherapy and dendritic cell-based vaccines. Findings are preclinical and not yet validated in humans. | | |  | Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, slowed the accumulation of biological aging markers in adults with HIV, as measured by multiple epigenetic clocks. Treatment reduced the pace of biological aging, slowed processes linked to mortality and age-related disease, and increased telomere length in some participants. These findings suggest GLP-1 drugs may modulate pathways involved in biological aging. | | |  | Deep-sea supergiant isopods survive prolonged food scarcity through a dual strategy: an enlarged stomach for bulk food storage and an extremely low basal metabolic rate. A horizontally transferred ND1 gene, regulated by histone acetylation, enables precise metabolic depression under cold, nutrient-poor conditions, supporting both gigantism and extended starvation tolerance. | | |  | A tandem plug-flow reactor using atomically dispersed Ru single-site catalysts efficiently converts plastic waste, specifically polystyrene, into cycloalkane-rich jet fuel at competitive costs of $1.0–1.8 per kilogram. The process achieves high selectivity and scalability, offering a promising route for both plastic waste reduction and sustainable jet fuel production. | | |  | Plate tectonics redirected the Paleo-Murat and Paleo-Karasu rivers, causing their merger and the formation of the Euphrates River around 3.6–1.6 million years ago. Sediment and hydrological analyses indicate that ancient river discharge exceeded that of modern Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers combined, despite smaller catchment areas. These tectonic-driven river diversions shaped the landscape and hydrology of the Fertile Crescent. | | |  | SN 2023vbw exhibits properties consistent with a pair-instability supernova, including a high luminosity, long timescale, and an estimated ejecta mass of 170–350 solar masses, far exceeding typical Type II supernovae. The explosion likely originated from a massive blue supergiant in a low-metallicity environment, possibly formed via binary merger, and left no remnant, supporting theoretical predictions for this rare supernova type. | | |  | Mathematicians caution against overstating AI's mathematical capabilities, highlighting risks of commercial hype, misleading performance metrics, and potential for incorrect or unverifiable proofs. Concerns include undermining peer review, researcher credit, and ethical issues such as misuse in warfare, surveillance, and environmental harm. Calls are made for ethical evaluation and responsible use of AI in mathematics. | | |  | Comprehensive molecular analysis of knee osteoarthritis tissue indicates OA is a single disease characterized by common core biological pathways, primarily related to tissue injury and repair, rather than distinct subtypes. Patient factors such as obesity, sex, and age influence biological variation, with obesity amplifying inflammatory signals. These findings support development of targeted, pathway-focused therapies. | | |
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