A recent study has uncovered the pivotal role of the transcription factor SOX9 in the development of hypospadias, a common congenital condition that affects male children.

In a new study published in Engineering, researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Technical University of Munich have developed an improved proximal policy optimization (IPPO) method. This method is designed to solve the distributed heterogeneous hybrid blocking flow-shop scheduling problem (DHHBFSP), aiming to minimize total tardiness and total energy consumption. The research offers a practical approach for manufacturing scheduling, and its experimental results show better performance compared with other methods.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are crucial tools for assessing the health and well-being of children, yet their application in pediatrics faces unique challenges due to developmental differences.

Hypervelocity impacts from space debris pose significant risks to spacecraft and satellites in outer space. To address this challenge, Prof. SU Zhongqing, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Chair Professor of Intelligent Structures and Systems at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), as well as a key member of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, along with his research team, has developed an innovative sensing technology to efficiently evaluate the health of space systems under hypervelocity impact of space junks. In recognition of this translational research and development (R&D) work, he has been awarded the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) (Special Call for Aerospace Technology) by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC).

In the field of wireless communication, security is of utmost importance. A new study published in Engineering explores intelligent covert communication. It reviews current techniques across different domains, from time and frequency to spatial and modulation. The research also looks at future trends like intelligent cooperative and parasitic covert communication, as well as challenges such as dealing with active detection and integrating sensing and communication. This offers valuable insights for the development of more secure wireless communication methods.

Methanolysis of polyethylene terephthalate to dimethyl terephthalate is a sustainable route for recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Herein, we demonstrate that mesoporous Beta zeolite supported zinc oxide (Zn-Beta-meso) is efficient for methanolysis of polyethylene terephthalate to dimethyl terephthalate, exhibiting ~99.9% dimethyl terephthalate yield at 180 °C after reaction for 30 min. Model reactions confirmed that the key step in PET methanolysis was the methanolysis of 2-hydroxyethyl methyl terephthalate to form dimethyl terephthalate, where the highly dispersed zinc species are the active sites for this step. In addition, the Zn-Beta-meso catalyst was active for the methanolysis of various PET substrates. When bottle with pigment, terylene, transparent adhesive tape, and soundproof cotton were applied as the substrates, full PET conversion and higher than 99.0% dimethyl terephthalate yield were obtained.

The research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a MOF-derived hierarchical porous TiO₂@NPC@S composite as a high-performance cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). This material addresses the issues of LSBs such as poor conductivity, volume expansion, and the "shuttle effect", showing high sulfur loading, excellent cycling performance, and rate capabilities, which offers a new approach for the design of LSB cathodes.

A team of researchers has unveiled a revolutionary ingestible bioimpedance sensing device capable of continuously and non-invasively monitoring the integrity of gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal barriers. 

A recent review has shed light on the transformative potential of acoustic technologies in the fields of biofabrication and tissue engineering.