Microplastics, the persistent pollutants already known to threaten ecosystems and human health, have a previously unrecognized dark side inside the world's urban sewer networks.

A recent study led by Professor Zhao Lichun（赵立春）from the Research Center of Trace Elements and Health Development at Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was published in the World Journal of Integrated traditional and western Medicine (WJIM), entitled “Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis on the Association Between Rubidium Ion Metabolic Dysregulation and Parkinson’s Disease.” This work, grounded in ionic homeostasis imbalance as a fundamental biophysical process, proposes an integrated theoretical model spanning “ion regulation-cellular dysfunction-neurodegeneration,” thereby providing a novel interpretative dimension and potential intervention perspective for the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Micro/nanomotors (MNMs) hold immense potential for advancing fundamental science and enabling a diverse range of applications, including targeted therapeutic interventions and environmental remediation. MOF-based motors have demonstrated excellent performance in wastewater treatment, leveraging the MOF tunable chemistry, high porosity, and large surface area for enhanced interactions with target species.

Advances in precision oncology necessitate tools capable of effectively imaging and treating deep-seated tumours. Radioactive quantum dots (RQDs) fulfil this requirement by creating self-luminescent probes through the unique fusion of quantum dots’ (QDs) tunable optical properties with the radiological characteristics of radioactive isotopes. This design enables multimodal imaging and synergistic therapy within deep tissues, overcoming the penetration depth limitations of conventional light sources.

A multiscale-coupling triple confinement strategy was developed to construct high-performance room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) carbon dots (CDs) that display significantly prolonged RTP lifetime and enhanced quantum yield, and show great potential in multifunctional applications including information encryption, fingerprint recognition, dynamic display, and warm white light-emitting.

As global temperatures rise, occupational heat stress is emerging as a major threat to economic stability, yet current risk assessments often miss the bigger picture.