A new study published in iMetaMed reveals that potassium sorbate, a common food preservative, may cause acute kidney injury by disrupting intercellular communication. Using an integrated approach combining network toxicology, machine learning, and single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified the amyloid precursor protein as a central mediator of kidney damage, interacting with immune cells via specific signaling axes.

A new Chinese expert consensus provides critical guidance for using medical imaging to determine whether pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can be surgically removed. The consensus, developed by the Group of Abdomen of the Chinese Society of Radiology, emphasizes a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach and outlines specific imaging techniques for accurate staging. Key recommendations establish contrast-enhanced CT as the primary tool for assessing local tumor spread, while MRI is prioritized for detecting elusive liver metastases. The guidelines also address the limitations of current imaging in evaluating treatment response and highlight the role of diagnostic laparoscopy. This standardized framework aims to improve preoperative planning, personalize treatment strategies, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes across China.

Deciphering true active sites under identical mass transport conditions is crucial for understanding catalytic mechanisms. By establishing uniform mass transfer and implementing controlled experiments to eliminate interfering factors, the research team identified Cu(100) grain boundaries as the key sites driving efficient C₂₊ production. Advanced characterization and theoretical calculations confirmed these sites facilitate asymmetric C–C coupling between *CHO and *CO intermediates, providing critical insights for rational catalyst design.

Co atoms are uniformly incorporated in NiS nanoparticles to fabricate homogeneous NiCoS cocatalyst on TiO₂ surface by a facile photosynthesis strategy. The optimized NiCoS/TiO₂(1:2) photocatalyst display the highest H₂ production performance, outperforming the NiS/TiO₂ and CoS/TiO₂ samples. The incorporated Co atoms break the electron distribution symmetry in NiS, thus essentially increasing electron density of S atoms to weaken S-H_ad bonds for efficient H_ad adsorption and desorption, endowing the NiCoS cocatalysts with a highly active H₂ evolution process. The integrated homogeneous NiCoS nanoparticles with TiO₂ could rapidly transfer photogenerated electrons and efficiently facilitate the interfacial H₂ evolution process, thus achieving enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation activity.

To achieve compact yet high-quality imaging, scientists in Tongji University and Stanford University, have developed a neural array meta-imaging system that overcomes long-standing optical trade-offs. The 2.76-mm single-metalens camera captures real-time full-color video at 25 Hz with image quality comparable to commercial lenses. This breakthrough paves the way for ultrathin, high-performance, and intelligent imaging systems, advancing next-generation optical technologies for mobile, industrial, and aerospace applications.

The 0.1wt% ultra-low loading 0.1(PtMnFeCoNi)/TiO₂ high-entropy catalyst developed by our team reduces the complete conversion temperature of CO in sintering flue gas to 230℃. It resists interference from H₂O and SO₂, and based on in-situ characterization and theoretical calculations, reveals the multiple action mechanism of "high-entropy effect - support synergy - reaction pathway". It exhibits excellent catalytic performance in CO oxidation reactions and is an industrial catalytic material with broad application prospects.

Chinese chemists boost lignin’s sun protection factor from 5 to 66 and cut colour darkness by one-third through controlled radical grafting and TiO₂ nano-loading, offering a biodegradable alternative to petrochemical filters.

Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers show that atom-transfer radical polymerisation couples waste-pulp lignin with the commercial UV absorber MBBT, producing sub-micron spheres that remain stable after three hours of intense ultraviolet irradiation.

A Canadian team turned 23,000 mating types into a materials library, showing nuclear-mitochondrial combos double film strength or ductility depending on cross-linker choice.

Writing in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers report the first systematic screen of wild fungal genotypes for pure mycelial materials, proving that strain choice can outperform process tweaks in green fabrication.

Italian scientists melt-blend lignin scorched in a gliding-arc tornado into polypropylene, doubling toughness and keeping 98 % of strength after two re-extrusions without any chemical compatibilizer.

Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers show that a 30-second argon-plasma whirl cuts hydroxyl groups on lignin by one third, spawns phenoxy radicals and forges stronger bonds with polypropylene, yielding recyclable, high-performance green composites.

Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, a China-led team cultivated the cellulose-secreting bacterium Taonella mepensis inside thin silicone tubes, producing hollow hydrogel cylinders of extraordinary purity. After a 30 % strain twist and overnight drying, the resulting fibers reached 1.06 GPa tensile strength—higher than any previously reported bacterial-cellulose thread—while remaining light enough to lift 342,000 times their own mass. Exposure to water vapor triggers a rapid untwisting motion that peaks at 884 revolutions per minute per metre, a speed unmatched by existing biopolymer actuators. No synthetic additives are required; the response emerges from reversible hydrogen-bond rearrangement between nanofibrils. Stored fibers retain 86 % of their rotational speed after eight months, and prototypes already function as remote rain sensors, on–off switches and self-opening curtains. The work, supported by China’s National Key R&D Program, points toward low-carbon, biodegradable hardware for soft robotics and environmental monitoring.