Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are a safer, more cost-effective energy storage option than lithium-ion batteries, but cathode material limitations hinder the practicality of the technology. A team of researchers recently produced ball-milled manufactured electrolytic manganese dioxide (MnO₂), which introduces oxygen vacancies that improve material performance as an AZIB cathode, bringing the technology closer to reality.

SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are suitable for hot-section components of gas turbine blades, but in combustion environments containing water vapor and molten salt impurities, CMCs suffer from severe recession and corrosion; therefore, environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are applied to isolate CMCs from aggressive environments and improve stability and service life. The study designed and synthesized six non-equimolar monoclinic-prime (m') RETaO₄ HECs to clarify composition-structure-property relationships. HE-3 exhibited the lowest TECs of 6.2 × 10^-6 K^-1 at 1500 °C, closer to SiC-based CMCs than the other compositions, and the lowest thermal conductivity reached 1.52-2.68 W·m^-1·K^-1 at 25-900 °C, indicating its potential as candidate EBCs.

Ceramics combine high strength, thermal stability and corrosion resistance, yet usually fracture before they can deform at room temperature. A new review in Journal of Advanced Ceramics synthesizes evidence that selected or engineered ceramics can undergo irreversible deformation through six fundamental pathways. The authors distinguish plasticity from toughness and tensile ductility, compare material systems and testing methods, and outline a roadmap toward bulk, reproducible and damage-tolerant ceramics for aerospace, electronics, energy and biomedical technologies.

Positive-strand RNA viruses extensively remodel the cellular endomembrane system to form specialized viral replication organelles (ROs). Coronaviruses generate double membrane vesicles (DMVs) that function as platforms for viral RNA (vRNA) synthesis and protect vRNA from detection by the host innate immune system. Coronaviruses hijack the host GBF1-ARF1-COPI vesicle transport pathway to utilize Golgi-derived membranes for promoting DMV formation.

Vestibular schwannomas are benign nerve tumors often managed with stereotactic radiosurgery, but bleeding inside the tumor is a rare and potentially serious complication. A systematic review of 11 studies covering 47 reported patients found varied warning signs, including trigeminal neuropathy, disequilibrium, facial dysfunction, headache, and hearing decline. Hypertension and antithrombotic medicines appeared among reported risk factors, supporting vigilant long-term follow-up and carefully individualized, multidisciplinary decisions by specialist teams when symptoms emerge after treatment. 

It has long been recognized that chiral materials can selectively transport electron spins, yet their role in electrochemical energy storage remained unclear. Now, writing in National Science Review, researchers led by Prof. Hongsen Li at Qingdao University demonstrate that regulating the chiral asymmetry factor enhances spin polarization at catalytic sites, accelerates sulfur redox reactions, and significantly improves the electrochemical performance of lithium–sulfur batteries.

Researchers identified functional noncoding variants in an enhancer of TBX1 that may contribute to tetralogy of Fallot, the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect. Using whole-genome sequencing in 428 patients and blood vessel organoids, the study shows that disruption of this enhancer reduces TBX1 expression and impairs vascular development linked to the cardiac outflow tract.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, a research team led by Professor Chengbang An reconstructed 4,000 years of dietary evolution in the central-eastern Eurasian Steppe from the Bronze Age to the Tang Dynasty, revealing synchronized dietary shifts across multiple regions: increased millet and meat consumption from the Early Iron Age to the Han Dynasty, followed by a return to wheat- and barley-based C₃ diets during the Jin-Tang periods. The study further demonstrates that these transitions were jointly driven by climate change, intensified interregional interaction among pastoralist groups, and innovations in grain processing technology. This work provides a critical reference for understanding human-environment interactions in the Eurasian Steppe.

Chronic hepatitis B is difficult to completely eradicate because current antiviral therapies cannot eliminate viral covalently closed circular DNA. Researchers now summarize how combining classical hepatitis B virus markers with emerging biomarkers, including hepatitis B core-related antigen, serum hepatitis B virus RNA, and quantitative anti-hepatitis B core antibody, substantially improves prediction of functional cure. The proposed evidence-based clinical framework could support individualized treatment decisions, optimize monitoring strategies, improve hepatitis B surface antigen clearance, and reduce healthcare costs.

Halide cathode materials are reshaping all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) by enabling multi-electron reactions that dramatically boost energy density. A new review traces their evolution from liquid to solid-state systems, spotlighting single-phase electrode designs that eliminate inactive components and the rational design of multi-electron cathode materials. Looking ahead, it highlights AI-driven material discovery and integrated architectures to overcome energy challenges, charting a course toward cheaper, higher-energy ASSLBs.