The review was led by Prof. Shaorong Gao of Tongji University, in collaboration with researchers from multiple universities and research institutes across China. It examines how epigenetic mechanisms decide which genes are used, when they are used and how strongly they are expressed - from the earliest stages of development to aging, cancer and therapy.

Bringing together evidence from reproduction, embryonic development, stem-cell research, tissue maintenance, aging, cancer and clinical translation, the review assesses what these mechanisms may mean for reproductive medicine, regenerative medicine and precision treatment. It also distinguishes promising directions from interventions that still require stronger evidence on delivery, specificity and long-term safety.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, researchers at Sun Yat-sen University developed an SFA-based Climate Prediction (SCP) method, which directly extracted slow-varying predictable signals from observed precipitation data and applied it to seasonal prediction of summer precipitation over South China. Independent forecasts for 2011–2022 show that the SCP method achieves a regional mean temporal correlation coefficient of 0.36 and accurately predicted the sign of regional-mean precipitation anomalies in 10 of 12 summers, outperforming two dynamical models and a hybrid dynamical–statistical prediction system. The study provides a new perspective to identifying potentially predictable signals and improving regional seasonal precipitation prediction.

Robots often learn from historical experience collected under older controllers and physical conditions. When tasks, hardware or environments change, that data can become misleading. Researchers developed Occupancy-Matching Policy Optimization (OMPO), which anchors large replay buffers to a small set of recent interactions. Across locomotion, transfer, manipulation and a real-robot test, OMPO improved stability, sample efficiency and adaptation.

A recent review outlines major advances in hydrogel-based strategies for musculoskeletal therapy. Through refined material design and strengthened mechanical performance, hydrogels can mimic key extracellular matrix features while enabling localized and controlled delivery of drugs, cells, and other bioactive cues. They can also be engineered into clinically relevant formats, including injectable systems, scaffolds, patches, and adhesive sealants, supporting applications across bone and cartilage repair, osteoarthritis management, disc regeneration, tendon healing, and dural repair. 

Pneumonia, a leading cause of global mortality, requires prompt and accurate antibiotic administration. Standardized treatment approaches frequently disregard sex and gender differences. This study is a post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study of patients requiring ventilatory support in 27 intensive care units from 9 Western European countries. The study underscores the significance of these variables and advocates revising clinical guidelines to integrate sex- and gender-specific considerations into antimicrobial therapy and decision-making.

Enteroviruses (EVs) are a diverse group of viruses and a common cause of multiple infections in children. A recent Pediatric Investigation review examines EV infections, highlighting the challenges posed by viral diversity, rapid evolution, immune evasion, and limited treatment and vaccine options. Currently, no specific antiviral treatment exists for EV, and prevention is limited since current vaccines cover only certain serotypes, underscoring the need for further research to expand both preventive and therapeutic options.

The universe has been having fewer and fewer stellar “babies.” Over the past 4.5 billion years, the rate of star birth has crashed to less than half of what it once was. But here’s the twist: the most essential “fuel” for making stars has barely decreased. This finding comes from an international team led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument project. They used China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope to make high-precision measurements of cosmic neutral atomic hydrogen over the past 4.5 billion years.

A new study published in Biomedical Analysis reports a protein-coated nanoparticle platform that combines the powerful light-to-heat conversion ability of copper sulfide with the biological compatibility of albumin, offering a potential strategy for safer photothermal cancer therapy.