Fruit volume in Chinese flowering plants is largely shaped by evolutionary relationships, but warmer climates weaken this phylogenetic constraint, highlighting the context‑dependent role of evolutionary history in plant reproductive traits.

The research team proposes a lattice-matching engineering strategy to fabricate hexagonal WO₃/TiO₂ S-scheme heterojunctions with an ultra-low 0.027% lattice mismatch. The strong built-in electric field optimizes charge transfer, realizing 35% dihydroxyacetone selectivity, 40% improved glycerol conversion and over 40 h catalytic stability for efficient biomass valorization.

Carbenes were self-assembled onto the Ag-Cu₂O surface via the in-situ deprotonation of imidazolium cations by generated OH^- ions. The synthesized Ag-Cu₂O-carbene catalyst exhibited a remarkable C₂₊ Faradaic efficiency. The improved performance is attributed to the enhanced tandem synergy induced by carbene bridging. Carbene modification enhances *CO spillover from Ag to Cu sites, increasing *CO coverage, while simultaneously lowering the *CO hydrogenation energy barrier to boost *COCHO formation.

A novel defect-engineered Pt/Nb₂O₅ photocatalyst achieves record-breaking efficiency for the co-production of 2-methylbenzimidazole and hydrogen through a hydroxyethyl radical-mediated pathway. By engineering oxygen vacancies and decorating with Pt nanoparticles, researchers demonstrate selective activation of the α-C–H bond in ethanol, bypassing conventional aldehyde intermediates to enhance both catalytic activity and selectivity under mild reaction conditions.

A systematic approach to physically synthesized data generation and its application is proposed for automatic visual inspection of aerospace alloys with complex geometries. Furthermore, the underlying reason why this approach significantly improves defect segmentation accuracy is revealed.

Background

Infections with liver flukes (Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, and O. felineus) cause high burden. Mechanistic models have been employed to disentangle their transmission dynamics and guide the design of control strategies. However, no comprehensive review of these mechanistic models has yet been undertaken.

Methods

In this systematic review, we searched six major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Korea Med, Cochrane, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], and Wanfang Data) for studies published up to 14 May 2025, to identify and evaluate mechanistic models of liver fluke infections. We included all mechanistic transmission models for human liver flukes regardless of language or setting, while excluded non-mechanistic models, reviews, and empirical studies.

Results

Of the 533 records identified, 18 studies were eligible for analysis. Most studies focused on C. sinensis in China and O. viverrini in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, primarily employing population-based model with ordinary differential equations. Findings consistently identified humans as the central reservoir sustaining transmission, while the role of animal reservoir hosts (e.g. cats and dogs) in transmission was less explored (in 6 out of 18 studies) and divergent in different models. Models incorporating host heterogeneity demonstrated the superiority of integrated control strategies-combining mass drug administration, health education, and environmental improvements over single intervention. High frequency, coverage and adherence of measures were shown to be critical for achieving control or even elimination targets.

Conclusion

Results from mechanistic models support the implementation of One Health strategies to improve liver fluke control. This review identifies the need for integrative, data-driven One Health modeling frameworks that incorporate human, animal, and environmental transmission parameters, and address key sources of heterogeneity in host behavior, exposure, and transmission dynamics to support control targets.

Background

Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease, caused by Lassa virus (LASV), that was first reported in 1965. After 55 years, its research landscape remains largely underexplored. Therefore, a bibliometric study is needed to identify LASV research landscape.

Methods

Scopus database was searched and the resulting data was analyzed using VOSviewer (version 1.6.15) for Windows, bibliometrix (version 3.0.0) with Biblioshiny, and R (version 4.5.2) to reveal trends in LASV publications, including keywords, authors’ productivity over time, and collaboration among research institutions and universities.

Results

From Scopus, 1566 studies were retrieved, and the trend analysis indicated three distinct phases: a low productivity phase (1970–2002), consistent increase phase (2003–2014), and high productivity phase (2015–2025). The Journal of Virology included the most LASV publications (132 articles). Original research articles dominated the LASV publications with 1270 (81.10%), followed by reviews 296 (18.90%). Keyword analysis revealed evolution over time, with terms used to describe LASV forming the most dominant network across clusters. Factorial analysis revealed keywords absence linked to health and environment role in LASV spread. Among the top 50 authors, 20% were from Africa (Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone), indicating minimal locally driven research. Country collaboration network analysis revealed the dominance of the United States, Germany, France, and China, while Nigeria was prominently represented in Africa. The findings further indicate few studies on vaccines and therapeutics, and less involvement of authors from LASV-endemic regions.

Conclusion

Despite significant growth in LASV research, critical gaps in vaccines, therapeutics, and endemic region representation highlight the urgent need for locally driven One Health studies and equitable research partnerships.