In an era where renewable energy is rapidly transforming our power grids, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems face a persistent challenge: the sun doesn't always shine when we need electricity most. Researchers at Aalborg University have developed an innovative solution that could significantly advance how we store and manage solar energy, making renewable power more reliable and cost-effective.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) and large-scale energy storage systems, accurate battery management remains a critical challenge. The state-of-charge (SOC) estimation—essentially how much "fuel" is left in your battery—has long been a complex engineering problem due to the dynamic nature of battery behavior under various conditions. Traditional methods often struggle with initial errors, cumulative inaccuracies, and sparse data collection scenarios, limiting their real-world applicability. This groundbreaking research introduces a novel approach that combines the gas-liquid dynamics model (GLDM) with an advanced filtering algorithm to overcome these persistent challenges.

Scientists have discovered that licorice extract, a common traditional herb, offers powerful protection against Paraclostridium bifermentans spores—a heat-resistant microbe that threatens the safety and shelf life of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken breast. In laboratory tests, licorice extract concentrations above 12.5 mg/mL significantly suppressed spore growth, while a 50 mg/mL dose nearly doubled product shelf life at 15 and 20 °C. Predictive modeling confirmed the extract’s impact on microbial growth rates and lag phases. Moreover, treated chicken samples showed slower spoilage, with lower acidity and chemical breakdown. The findings open up new possibilities for natural, plant-based preservation strategies in the meat industry.

The updated European guidelines for managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) mark a significant shift in hepatology practice. Jointly issued by the EASL, EASD, and EASO, the recommendations introduce refined disease definitions, including MASLD and MetALD, and emphasize risk-based screening, non-invasive diagnostics, and multidisciplinary care. Lifestyle interventions remain central, while new pharmacological options—especially incretin mimetics and resmetirom—are emerging for MASH with fibrosis. These comprehensive guidelines reflect progress in MASLD research, offering clinicians a structured roadmap for diagnosis, monitoring, and management tailored to both hepatic and cardiometabolic risk profiles.

Shrimp processing waste, often discarded as low-value by-product, may hold untapped therapeutic potential. In a recent study, researchers identified five antioxidant peptides from shrimp by-products, with HFVPVYEGF and EGYPFNPLL showing the most potent protective effects against oxidative damage. These peptides demonstrated the ability to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS), boost antioxidant enzyme activity, and significantly enhance the viability of human liver cells (HepG2) under oxidative stress. The findings reveal a promising avenue for converting seafood waste into high-value bioactive ingredients with health-promoting functions.

Egg yolk, long known for its nutritional benefits, may hold the key to a natural treatment for osteoporosis. A groundbreaking study has found that water-soluble egg yolk fractions, particularly the FC1 subfraction (< 3 kDa), significantly inhibit osteoclastogenesis—the process responsible for bone resorption. This discovery, based on in vitro tests with RAW264.7 macrophages, shows that FC1 not only curbs osteoclast formation but also activates apoptosis in mature osteoclasts. With further research, these egg yolk-derived bioactive compounds could pave the way for safer, natural supplements to promote bone health, offering an alternative to traditional treatments with fewer side effects.

Fermented sausages are renowned for their bold, region-specific flavors—but what truly drives these sensory profiles lies beneath the surface. This review uncovers how dynamic microbial successions shape flavor development in both Eastern and Western sausage varieties. While Western sausages such as salami and chorizo rely on controlled fermentation with selected starter cultures for consistency, Eastern sausages depend on spontaneous microbial activity and local ingredients, resulting in diverse and nuanced flavors. By revealing the biochemical and microbial pathways responsible for taste formation, the study offers new insights into improving quality, safety, and flavor optimization for global consumers.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables information-theoretic secure communication based on quantum physics. A new study by Danish, Austrian, and Canadian researchers has demonstrated composable secure key generation against collective attacks over 20 km fiber using discrete-modulated Continuous-Variable QKD and modern numerical security proof methods. This marks the first practical implementation of a long-theorized protocol, combining high key rates, standard telecom compatibility, and rigorous security guarantees - an important step toward real-world quantum-secure communication in metropolitan networks.

Recently, Professor Yanyan Jiang's research team at Shandong University has developed an innovative "carbon precursor pre-coordination" strategy for precisely regulate the single-atom coordination environments in carbon-supported nanozymes. By using carbon dots as carriers and mimicking the active sites of natural CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD enzymes, they successfully synthesized highly antioxidative CuMn-CDs using only a household microwave oven. The team conducted a systematic investigation into the antioxidant mechanisms of CuMn-CDs, demonstrating their capability to effectively scavenge free radicals present in cigarette smoke and alleviate lung tissue damage in smoking mouse models. Furthermore, the successful syntheis of various other bimetallic single-atom nanozymes confirmed the universal applicability of this strategy.