A recent review in eGastroenterology explores how key epigenetic changes—including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs—drive the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These mechanisms influence oncogene activation, tumor suppressor gene silencing, and contribute to therapy resistance. The paper highlights how DNA hypermethylation silences tumor suppressors, while histone modifications regulate gene transcription. Furthermore, dysregulated noncoding RNAs modulate signaling pathways critical to hepatocarcinogenesis. Importantly, emerging epigenetic therapies, including inhibitors and RNA-targeting agents, offer potential in precision oncology. These findings underscore the relevance of epigenetic research in improving HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Propeller-driven aircraft are gaining renewed attention for sustainable aviation. Yet balancing efficiency with noise reduction remains a critical challenge—especially for emerging platforms such as eVTOL and hybrid-electric aircraft. Researchers from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics have developed a new optimization framework based on the unsteady adjoint method that successfully addresses this trade-off. Their work offers a powerful tool for designing quieter, more efficient propellers, paving the way for the next generation of low-emission, low-noise aviation.

Aero-engine hot-end components face grinding challenges due to superalloys' low thermal conductivity, causing high heat, energy consumption, and reliance on unsustainable cooling. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG), heat pipe grinding wheels (HPGW), and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) have been proposed to integrate to reduce heat generation, enhance heat dissipation, and minimize coolant use. In this case, the high-efficiency and sustainable grinding can be achieved with improved surface integrity.

Urgent requirements of the renewable energy boost the development of stable and clean hydrogen, which could effectively displace fossil fuels in mitigating climate changes. The efficient interconversion of hydrogen and electronic is highly based on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and water electrolysis (PEMWEs). However, the high cost continues to impede large-scale commercialization of both PEMFC and PEMWE technologies, with the expense primarily attributed to noble catalysts serving as a major bottleneck. The reduction of Pt loading in PEMFCs is essential but limited by the oxygen transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layers (CCLs), while the oxygen transport in anode catalyst layers (ACLs) in PEMWEs also being focused as the Ir/IrO_x catalyst reduced. The pore structure and the catalyst–ionomer agglomerates play important roles in the oxygen transport process of both PEMFCs and PEMWEs due to the similarity of membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Herein, the oxygen transport mechanism of PEMFCs in pore structure and ionomer thin films in CCLs is systematically reviewed, while state-of-the-art strategies are presented for enhancing oxygen transport and performance through materials and structural design. The deeply research opens avenues for exploring similar key scientific problems in oxygen transport process of PEMWEs and their further development.

The robust respective formations of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and pillar at the surfaces of hard carbon and O3-type positive electrodes are the consequences of integrating LiPF₆ salt into a sodium-ion battery electrolyte that considerably strengthens both interfaces of positive and negative electrodes. The improvement of cycle performances due to the formation of highly passivating SEI on the hard carbon electrode is induced by the alternated solvation structure following the addition of Li salt, which inhibits sodium-ion and electron leakage from further electrolyte decomposition. The SEI with incorporated Li is less soluble than Na-based SEI, and the passivation ability of the initially formed SEI can thus be well preserved. Conversely, the gas evolution caused by oxygen release is reduced considerably by the marginal surface intercalation of Li ions at the surface of the O3-positive electrode. Additionally, the LiF layer that forms on the O3 surface diminishes additional deterioration of the electrolyte after formation. Compared with the fluoroethylene carbonate additive that is typically applied, a simultaneously strengthened interface yields major improvements in capacity retention.

Abstract

Purpose – We investigate the interconnectedness between the financial sectors and new energy companies in China from the perspective of the multilayer network, and analyze the static and time-varying characteristics of the multilayer network at system and company levels, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach – We employ the multilayer network containing the realized volatility (RV here after) layer, the realized skewness (RS here after) layer and the realized kurtosis (RK here after) layer. The three realized indicators adopted to construct the multilayer network are generated by the intraday trading data from 2012 to 2022.

Findings – (1) Different layers have different characteristics, and can provide supplementary information. (2) Banks tend to play the role of risk transmitters on the whole, while the insurances and new energy companies tend to play the role of risk receivers on average. (3) The connectedness strength of financial sectors and new energy companies varies over time, and climbs sharply during the major crisis events. The roles of financial sectors and new energy companies may change from risk transmitters to risk receivers, and vice versa.

Originality/value – We adopt three realized indicators to construct the three-layer network, which provides a more comprehensive perspective for understanding the connectedness between the financial sectors and new energy companies in China.

Recently, the research team led by Rui Jiang at Tsinghua University’s Department of Automation published a study titled “CASHeart: A database of single-cell chromatin accessibility for the human heart” in Quantitative Biology. This work systematically integrates and processes publicly available datasets to reveal cellular heterogeneity in the human heart, thereby advancing molecular insights into cardiac development, functional maintenance, disease pathogenesis, and therapeutic responses.

Recently, Xie Zhen's team from Tsinghua University published a research article titled "SPECIFIC: A systematic framework for engineering cell state-responsive synthetic promoters reveals key regulators of T cell exhaustion" in Quantitative Biology, proposing an integrated framework combining chromatin accessibility analysis and machine learning for rational design of synthetic promoters.