Vascular aging is a silent but powerful driver of many age-related diseases, from heart attacks to dementia. Over time, our arteries lose elasticity, accumulate damage, and struggle to deliver oxygen and nutrients where they are needed most. This review reveals how a network of biological processes—endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cellular senescence—converge to weaken blood vessels. By mapping the key biomarkers that flag early vascular decline and exploring strategies to counteract it, the findings offer a blueprint for interventions that could slow, halt, or even reverse this decline. Such advances may help extend not just lifespan, but the number of years lived in good health.

For decades, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research has focused on its visible villains—amyloid plaques and tau tangles. But beneath the surface, another player may be quietly steering the disease’s course: lipid metabolism. Lipids, the essential substances that build and fuel the brain, are proving to be powerful influencers of disease progression. When their balance falters, harmful proteins accumulate, synapses weaken, and inflammation spreads. This new review pulls together cutting-edge findings that link genetic risk factors, like APOE4, to disrupted cholesterol transport, faulty fat storage, and poor lipid clearance—unveiling a hidden layer of AD biology and pointing toward untapped therapeutic strategies.

In a paper published in Frontiers of Engineering Management, researchers reveal significant regional disparities in China's WEEE generation: central/eastern regions exhibit higher stockpiles but slower growth, while western areas show lower baselines yet faster expansion—with computers and air conditioners displaying the most rapid obsolescence rates and institutional sources presenting high uncertainty. The findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated regional recycling strategies and prioritized category governance.

Biochar, hailed as a climate change mitigation tool for its ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may not be as effective as once thought when microplastics are in the picture. A new study investigates how polyethylene microplastics interact with aged biochar to affect carbon and nitrogen stability in Fluvic Cambisol soil, offering surprising results.