Scientists from China have developed a fully absorbable cranial fixation device that improves skull bone healing and stability after brain surgery. The new implant outperformed the widely used Aesculap® CranioFix clamp. The device provides stronger fixation, safer degradation, and faster postoperative skull recovery, offering a promising alternative to current metal or polymer fixation systems. These findings provide prominent significance for promoting the innovation and development of absorbable cranial flap fixation devices.

Researchers have confirmed the true ferrielectric state in a single-phase material, (MV)[SbBr₅]. This new polar order exhibits a unique combination of a switchable net polarization, asynchronous dipole switching, and polar-to-polar structural transitions, while enabling unprecedented electric-field control of spin-orbit coupling and circular photogalvanic effects, opening new avenues for next-generation electronics.

A unified strategy using aggregation-induced emission fluorogens (AIEgens) is developed to monitor multiscale material dynamics. Their high-contrast fluorescence enables the correlation of molecular motions, microscopic particle coalescence, and macroscopic drying within a single optical framework. This overcomes limitations of multi-platform methods, offering a generalizable approach for holistic process analysis in complex systems like polymer emulsions.

This study assessed industrial restructuring impacts on heavy metal pollution (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb) and ecological risk in a Pearl River Delta urban waterway. Sediment concentrations followed Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Ni > As > Cd, all exceeding baselines, rising from 2008 to 2011 then declining through 2018, aligning with shifts to less polluting industries. Fractionation revealed Cr, Ni, and As as predominantly residual; Zn in reducible and residual; Cd acid-soluble; and Cu and Pb reducible, indicating greater human influence on Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb. Nickel dominated water ecological risk, while Cd led in sediments. Despite adjustments, anthropogenic ecological risks persist.

Researchers have developed a nitrogen-doped graphitic biochar using chitosan for efficient removal of nitrogen-containing contaminants, such as imidacloprid, from water. The material demonstrated notable adsorption performance, achieving a capacity of 140.1 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 97.2% for imidacloprid. The study reveals the key role of nitrogen-functional groups, particularly pyridinic-N and graphitic-N, in driving the adsorption process through π–π interactions and Lewis acid-base reactions. These findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced adsorbents for environmental remediation.

Researchers used pot experiments to investigate, through measuring plant physiological and biochemical indicators, soil nutrient elements and enzyme activities, as well as analyzing the gene expression of Astragalus sinicus L, that earthworms can mitigate the negative effects of polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) on plant growth and further explore the mechanisms of this mitigation.

Abstract

Purpose – We investigate the interconnectedness between the financial sectors and new energy companies in China from the perspective of the multilayer network, and analyze the static and time-varying characteristics of the multilayer network at system and company levels, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach – We employ the multilayer network containing the realized volatility (RV here after) layer, the realized skewness (RS here after) layer and the realized kurtosis (RK here after) layer. The three realized indicators adopted to construct the multilayer network are generated by the intraday trading data from 2012 to 2022.

Findings – (1) Different layers have different characteristics, and can provide supplementary information. (2) Banks tend to play the role of risk transmitters on the whole, while the insurances and new energy companies tend to play the role of risk receivers on average. (3) The connectedness strength of financial sectors and new energy companies varies over time, and climbs sharply during the major crisis events. The roles of financial sectors and new energy companies may change from risk transmitters to risk receivers, and vice versa.

Originality/value – We adopt three realized indicators to construct the three-layer network, which provides a more comprehensive perspective for understanding the connectedness between the financial sectors and new energy companies in China.