A recent study published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing by researchers from Beijing University of Technology and international collaborators investigates atomic-scale electrochemical deposition as a method for precise control of material properties. The research highlights the potential of this technique to support future developments in areas such as semiconductors, quantum computing, and nanomedicine.

Lithium-based batteries (LiBs) are integral components in operating electric vehicles to renewable energy systems and portable electronic devices, thanks to their unparalleled energy density, minimal self-discharge rates, and favorable cycle life. However, the inherent safety risks and performance degradation of LiB over time impose continuous monitoring facilitated by sophisticated battery management systems (BMS). This review comprehensively analyzes the current state of sensor technologies for smart LiBs, focusing on their advancements, opportunities, and potential challenges. Sensors are classified into two primary groups based on their application: safety monitoring and performance optimization. Safety monitoring sensors, including temperature, pressure, strain, gas, acoustic, and magnetic sensors, focus on detecting conditions that could lead to hazardous situations. Performance optimization sensors, such as optical-based and electrochemical-based, monitor factors such as state of charge and state of health, emphasizing operational efficiency and lifespan. The review also highlights the importance of integrating these sensors with advanced algorithms and control approaches to optimize charging and discharge cycles. Potential advancements driven by nanotechnology, wireless sensor networks, miniaturization, and machine learning algorithms are also discussed. However, challenges related to sensor miniaturization, power consumption, cost efficiency, and compatibility with existing BMS need to be addressed to fully realize the potential of LiB sensor technologies. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the current landscape and future directions of sensor innovations in smart LiBs, guiding further research and development efforts to enhance battery performance, reliability, and safety.

Disrupting the symmetric electron distribution of porphyrin-like Fe single-atom catalysts has been considered as an effective way to harvest high intrinsic activity. Understanding the catalytic performance governed by geometric microstrains is highly desirable for further optimization of such efficient sites. Here, we decipher the crucial role of local microstrain in boosting intrinsic activity and durability of asymmetric Fe single-atom catalysts (Fe–N₃S₁) by replacing one N atom with S atom. The high-curvature hollow carbon nanosphere substrate introduces 1.3% local compressive strain to Fe–N bonds and 1.5% tensile strain to Fe–S bonds, downshifting the d-band center and accelerating the kinetics of *OH reduction. Consequently, highly curved Fe–N₃S₁ sites anchored on hollow carbon nanosphere (FeNS-HNS-20) exhibit negligible current loss, a high half-wave potential of 0.922 V vs. RHE and turnover frequency of 6.2 e⁻¹ s⁻¹ site⁻¹, which are 53 mV more positive and 1.7 times that of flat Fe–N–S counterpart, respectively. More importantly, multiple operando spectroscopies monitored the dynamic optimization of strained Fe–N₃S₁ sites into Fe–N₃ sites, further mitigating the overadsorption of *OH intermediates. This work not only sheds new light on local microstrain-induced catalytic enhancement, but also provides a plausible direction for optimizing efficient asymmetric sites via geometric configurations.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is framed as a systemic bone disease driven by estrogen withdrawal, but emerging evidence positions gut dysbiosis and its fermentation products—short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—as equally influential regulators of skeletal fate. Estrogen loss elevates gut permeability, allowing lipopolysaccharide and pro-inflammatory T cells to traffic from intestine to bone marrow, tipping the Th17/Treg balance toward osteoclast-promoting cytokines such as IL-17, TNF-α and RANKL. Germ-free or T-cell–depleted mice do not lose bone after ovariectomy, underscoring the microbiota-immune axis as a mechanistic core.

Lactic acid (LA) has transitioned from being perceived as a mere glycolytic waste product to a pivotal regulator of tumor–immune crosstalk. Historical milestones—from Scheele’s 1780 isolation from sour milk to Zhao’s 2019 discovery of histone lactylation—reveal an expanding biochemical repertoire that now encompasses pH control, G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR81/132) signaling, post-translational modification via lysine lactylation, and multi-directional metabolic shuttling between cytoplasm, mitochondria, and neighboring cells. Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), high glycolytic flux exports lactate and protons through monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), acidifying the extracellular milieu to ~6.5–6.8. This acidity degrades extracellular matrix, blunts drug uptake, and, via protonation, neutralizes weak-base chemotherapeutics. Cancer cells exploit the same molecule as fuel: MCT1-mediated uptake drives tricarboxylic acid cycle oxidation, NADPH generation via IDH1, and lactylation of DNA-repair proteins NBS1 and MRE11, enhancing genomic stability and chemoresistance. Concurrently, GPR81-cAMP-PKA-TAZ/TEAD signaling elevates PD-L1 expression, facilitating immune escape.

HOXB13, a B-class homeobox transcription factor, sits at the hub of developmental gene networks yet has emerged as a double-edged sword in human cancer. While indispensable for embryonic patterning and androgen-dependent organogenesis, its expression is frequently hijacked or extinguished by epigenetic, mutational and post-translational events that drive tumour initiation, progression and therapy resistance. Across more than twenty malignancies, the protein acts as either oncogene or tumour suppressor, depending on tissue context, interacting partners and mutational status.

A landmark study published in the Journal of Palaeogeography (Chinese Edition) uncovers how plume-driven tectonics shattered a Permian carbonate ramp into a complex platform system, creating a 400-kilometer-long dolostone hydrocarbon reservoir belt now pivotal to China’s energy exploration. Led by Prof. Yuan Haifeng (Chengdu University of Technology) and Dr. Zhang Benjian (PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company), the research resolves decades of debate by precisely dating the tectonic-sedimentary pattern transition to 263–262 Ma using conodont biostratigraphy, while also revealing novel exploration targets.

Join us for a cutting-edge Carbon Research Webinar featuring Prof. Weihong Yang from KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, where he will explore innovative strategies to transition from fossil-based materials to sustainable, bio-based graphite alternatives. This talk will provide insights into the conversion of bioprecursors into fossil-free graphite and its applications in lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical systems. A techno-economic assessment and life cycle analysis (LCA) will also be discussed.

Researchers have systematically mapped the complex cellular pathways leading to glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GION). The study identifies key apoptotic mechanisms including 11β-HSD enzymes, CD95/CD95L, STAT1-caspase 3, and PI3K/Akt pathways, while presenting emerging therapeutic approaches including targeted drugs, biomaterials, and stem cell therapies.

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved the efficacy of cancer therapy, but their associated immune-related adverse events (irAEs) can severely compromise treatment safety. This review systematically summarizes the core mechanisms underlying irAEs, which include multi-organ damage resulting from T-cell dysfunction, B-cell-mediated autoantibody abnormalities, cytokine network dysregulation, and monocyte-driven inflammatory cascades. Identified risk factors encompass a range of elements, including host clinical characteristics and underlying diseases, gut microbiota dysbiosis, characteristics of the treatment regimen, tumor type and its histological features, genetic factors and immunogenetic polymorphisms, pre-existing autoimmune conditions or a history of autoimmunity, and a history of previous exposures alongside various environmental factors. The grading criteria, their clinical context and incidence rates, and clinical management strategies for irAEs affecting various organ systems are detailed herein. Future research should aim to deeply analyze the shared mechanisms and temporal dynamics between irAEs and anti-tumor effects, develop targeted irAE prediction and monitoring systems, and optimize strategies for irAE prevention and treatment.