In a recent study published in Engineering, researchers have developed an exact algorithm for placement optimization in mixed-cell-height (MCH) circuits, addressing key challenges in modern chip design such as non-overlapping constraints, voltage drain drain (VDD)/voltage source substrate (VSS) alignment, and minimum implantation area rules. The work presents a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and a Benders decomposition (BD)-based approach to minimize placement cost while enhancing space utilization, validated through numerical experiments on benchmark datasets to demonstrate its efficiency for practical circuit design applications.

A new study published in Engineering uses integrated LEAP–WEAP models to analyze Pakistan’s water–energy challenges. It reveals consumption trends under different scenarios, offers potential saving strategies, and points out the implementation challenges, providing crucial insights for resource management in the country.

A new study in Forest Ecosystems reveals how fire history, vegetation type, and soil features jointly influence carbon storage in boreal forests. Researchers in Norway compared pine and spruce forests across regions with different fire legacies, and they found that pine forests store nearly twice as much organic carbon as spruce forests, with charcoal carbon stocks varying by region due to fire frequency, terrain microtopography, and organic layer depth. The study highlights the importance of localized forest management strategies for sustaining carbon storage in the face of climate change.

The management of liquid manure generated by livestock farming is an environmental problem that affects soil, water and air when there is a high concentration. The Solid State Chemistry Group at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló, coordinated by Professor Juan Bautista Carda, has created an innovative method for treating and recovering liquid manure using laser technology.

The new system involves separating the solid and liquid parts using laser irradiation according to specific parameters to obtain high value-added products. The liquid part is then treated again with laser irradiation to adapt it for agricultural or industrial use.

Disaster waste from earthquakes and tsunamis can severely delay recovery in coastal communities, but existing predictive models often ignore how damaged transportation networks can hinder waste disposal efforts. In a recent study, researchers developed a probabilistic framework that jointly models waste disposal and road network systems under seismic and tsunami hazards. By accounting for their interdependencies and restoration dynamics, the framework offers more realistic estimates of cleanup times and highlights key strategies to improve resilience.

In modern immunotherapy, modified immune cells are introduced into the body to attack tumors and other targets. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a method for tracking these cells in the body. This new approach could deepen our understanding of cellular therapies and help make future treatments safer.