The human brain performs perception, memory, learning and decision-making with only about 20 watts of power. A new study in National Science Review proposes a physics-based framework to explain this extraordinary efficiency. By modeling cooperative neuronal activity, the researchers suggest that brain information may be stored and processed through dynamic electrical patterns, offering new clues for brain science and energy-efficient artificial intelligence.

A research team has shown that biochar can reduce the ecological stress caused by copper and commercial glyphosate formulations in soil, using earthworm behavior as an early warning signal of contamination. 

A research team has found that adding mulberry branch-derived biochar to feed can improve intestinal health and water quality in largemouth bass aquaculture without significantly changing fish growth performance.

Hydrogen produced by water electrolysis is widely regarded as a promising clean energy carrier, but developing efficient and durable electrocatalysts without relying on large amounts of precious metals remains a major challenge. In a recent study published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers developed a wood-derived carbon-supported high-entropy alloy catalyst using a rapid carbothermal shock strategy. The work demonstrates that regulating the electronegativity of alloy components, together with enhanced graphitization at the alloy–carbon interface, significantly improves catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Among the investigated compositions, the Mn-containing catalyst exhibited the best performance, requiring only 28 mV overpotential to reach 10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline electrolyte while maintaining remarkable long-term stability. The study further combines advanced characterization and density functional theory calculations to reveal how electron redistribution optimizes water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption, providing a new strategy for designing sustainable biomass-derived electrocatalysts.

Beijing, China – A recent field experiment reveals how applying biogas slurry as a topdressing can profoundly influence soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a critical component of soil health and carbon cycling, particularly in dryland agricultural settings. Published in Carbon Research, new findings from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences provide a comprehensive understanding of how this sustainable agricultural practice reshapes carbon transformation and stabilization across different maize growth stages and soil depths.

Biogas slurry, a nutrient-rich byproduct of anaerobic digestion, offers significant potential for sustainable agriculture by recycling organic waste and partially replacing chemical fertilizers. Despite its known benefits, the specific mechanisms by which biogas slurry topdressing (BSTD) regulates soil DOC dynamics under real-world field conditions, considering both crop growth and varied soil layers, remained largely unclear. Soil DOC is a highly mobile carbon fraction that fuels microbial activity and influences nutrient availability, making its precise management vital for robust agroecosystems.

A research team has shown that organic cleaning wastewater (OCW), a hazardous liquid waste produced during industrial chemical cleaning, can be co-processed with bituminous coal in pulverized coal-fired boilers, but only within a carefully controlled blending range.

Journal of Cyborg and Bionic Systems received its Impact Factor of 20.9, ranking 2^nd in the category of "Robotics", ranking 4^th in the category of "Engineering, Biomedical" in the Journal Citation Report 2025.

A research team has developed a theory-driven and data-supported framework to predict how temperature controls the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automotive oil-based dry paint sludge, a hazardous waste produced during vehicle painting. 

A research team has developed OPTAR, a computational tool for discovering novel therapeutic targets from large-scale omics data.