The dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. In context of global warming, numerous experimental studies have reported temperature-sensitive responses of SOC. However, the limited temporal frequency and spatial density of repeated sampling and whole-profile SOC observations have hindered the understanding of large-scale, long-term spatiotemporal patterns of SOC and their responses to environment changes under global warming, thereby constraining the ability to accurately predict the global carbon cycle.

This study analyzes 20 years of data from the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to reveal trends in drug-induced fatty liver disease (DIFLD), identifying high-risk drug classes and vulnerable populations, and highlighting the need for region-specific pharmacovigilance and tailored interventions.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) refer to a group of man-made chemicals that are widely used due to their water- and stain-resistant properties and exceptional chemical stability. However, they often accumulate in the environment, causing environmental and health hazards. A team of researchers has recently shown how zinc oxide nanocrystals capped with specific ligands can efficiently defluorinate perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a well-known perfluoroalkyl substance. This approach could solve PFAS recycling challenges.

Tin monosulfide (SnS) is a promising, earth-abundant material for thin-film solar cells, but device performance has long been limited by defects and unwanted reactions at the rear contact interface. Now, researchers from Korea demonstrate that inserting an ultra-thin germanium oxide layer between the molybdenum back contact and SnS region mitigates these issues. Their findings highlight how interface engineering can greatly boost power conversion efficiency, paving the way for improving performance in many such electronics and energy technologies.

Aviation’s climate impact extends beyond carbon dioxide emissions. A new study from Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Imperial College, UK, reveals that contrails can represent a significant portion of aviation’s overall climate cost. The study also shows that climate impact can be reduced by optimising flight routes.

In a new article in Nature Communications, The social costs of aviation CO₂ and contrail cirrus, the researchers demonstrate that both CO₂ emissions and contrail formation contribute materially to aviation’s climate impact – and that the associated societal costs differ substantially depending on weather patterns and routing decisions. They find that, at the global level, contrails account for about 15 percent of aviation’s climate impact when measured in economic terms.