Researchers from Nanjing University of Science and Technology have developed a novel computational method called BlastGraphNet, which uses graph neural networks to predict the distribution of blast loads on complex 3D buildings. This data-driven approach offers significant improvements in accuracy and efficiency compared to traditional methods, with potential applications in structural design, civil defense, and safety assessments. The study, published in Engineering, demonstrates the model’s ability to provide rapid and precise predictions of blast loads, supporting more effective risk management and engineering solutions.

This study evaluated the impact of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on cholera across 89 low- and middle-income countries. Protective effects against cholera were observed for certain types of improved WASH facilities (e.g., piped water), while harmful effects were noted for unimproved facilities (e.g., open defecation). The disparities in WASH access contributed to inequalities in cholera burden across different regions under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) framework.

A Chinese research team has successfully utilized geostationary satellite communication (632 ms latency) to remotely control robotic surgical systems in Beijing from Lhasa, performing precision liver resection surgeries on two liver cancer patients. Intraoperative robotic arm tracking error remained below 0.5 mm, with both patients discharged within 24 hours postoperatively and no severe complications reported. This study marks the first validation of safety in remote surgery under high-latency satellite conditions, offering a groundbreaking solution for underserved regions, disaster zones, and space medicine.  

Cultivated tomato plants exhibit a hypersensitive response (HR) upon dodder parasitization, resulting in a complete blockade of dodder attachment and subsequent establishment of parasitism. A new study from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveals that when dodder initiates parasitization, tomato plants use the plant hormones jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) to regulate a gene encoding a receptor-like protein CuRe1 to activate HR.