Single-atom transition metal-nitrogen-doped carbons (SA M-N-Cs) catalysts are promising alternatives to platinum-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, enhancing their performance for practical applications remains a significant challenge. This review summarizes recent advances in enhancing the intrinsic activity of SA M-N-C catalysts through various strategies, such as tuning the coordination environment and local structure of central metal atoms, heteroatom doping, and the creation of dual-/multi metal sites. Additionally, it discusses methods to increase the density of M-Nx active sites, including chelation, defect capture, cascade anchoring, spatial confinement, porous structure design, and secondary doping. Finally, it outlines future directions for developing highly active and stable SA M-N-C catalysts, providing a comprehensive framework for the design of advanced catalysts.

A new study published in Translational Exercise Biomedicine (ISSN: 2942-6812), an official partner journal of International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), reveals that a progressive, multi-component exercise program, enhanced by wearable sensor technology, can significantly counteract the debilitating effects of frailty in older adults. The 12-week intervention led to remarkable improvements not only in physical strength and balance, but also in cognitive abilities and overall quality of life, presenting an effective and practical strategy for community health management in an aging global population.

This global study investigates the dynamic impact of Financial Technology (FinTech) on financial stability, introducing the novel dimension of green finance as a key moderating factor. Analysing panel data from 148 advanced and emerging economies (2005-2022) with advanced econometric models, the research finds that both FinTech and the overall composite of green finance significantly enhance financial stability. The study further deconstructs green finance into its core dimensions, revealing that while environmental, resource, and financial dimensions are positive drivers, the economic dimension presents a short-term challenge. Crucially, the synergy between FinTech and most green finance dimensions acts as a powerful positive force for stability. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a consistent negative spillover effect. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers to design integrated FinTech and green finance frameworks, fostering resilient financial systems and a sustainable economic future.

This study investigates the under-explored impact of banking deregulation on bank risk-taking. Analyzing China's 2009 deregulation as a natural experiment, we find that deregulated banks significantly increase their risk-taking. Mechanism analysis identifies the bank balance sheet capacity channel: deregulation boosts bank net interest margins, strengthening their financial capacity and thus their risk appetite. While this policy successfully improves long-term credit access for firms in underserved regions, especially smaller ones, it creates a critical trade-off for policymakers between supporting the real economy and safeguarding financial stability.

A new study published in Biochar reports that sulfur-modified wheat straw biochar can dramatically reduce the toxic effects of vanadium contamination in rice, offering a promising and sustainable strategy to protect global food production in polluted regions. Vanadium is a heavy metal increasingly found in agricultural soils due to mining, smelting, fertilizer overuse, and wastewater irrigation. Even moderate exposure can stunt plant growth, damage photosynthesis, and impair the antioxidant defenses that keep crops healthy.

KUALA LUMPUR / GLASGOW — As the world races to meet ambitious climate targets, nature-based strategies are gaining unprecedented traction—and biomass is stepping into the spotlight not just as renewable fuel, but as a powerful carbon sink. On December 17, 2025, leading sustainability expert Prof. Dato’ Dr. Agamutu Pariatamby FASc, Senior Professor at the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, Sunway University (Malaysia), will unveil groundbreaking insights into how bio-based carbon capture can deliver up to 6.7 gigatonnes of CO₂-equivalent (GtCO₂e) in annual mitigation potential by 2050—according to IPCC (2022) estimates.

Explore the future of clean hydrogen in this recorded webinar featuring Dr. Muhammad Aziz from the University of Tokyo. Discover how chemical looping technology can produce high-purity hydrogen, capture CO₂, and recover usable heat—all within a near-zero emission process.

Tiny charming immune cells called microglia protect the central nervous system in a multitude of ways: They provide innate immunity, shape neurodevelopment, maintain homeostasis and modulate neurological disorders. That functionality can be lost, however, when microglia acquire mutations. An concept to correct this by replacing the mutated microglia with genetically typical cells — now called microglia intervention strategy for therapy and enhancement by replacement, or MISTER — emerged five years ago and was successfully achieved in mice. This year, researchers successfully used this microglia replacement approach to halt a fatal neurological disease ALSP (adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia) in human patients. 

A study has revealed that the expression of the poplar sex-determining gene FERR can significantly enhance drought tolerance in plants.