In a paper published in Science China Chemistry, a research team led by Professors Atsuhiro Osuka and Jianxin Song at Hunan Normal University developed a concise synthetic method for the single, double, triple, and quadruple installations of directly fused hemiporphycenes at the periphery of Ni(II) porphyrin. They subjected the Ni(II) complexes to demetallation under acidic conditions, which furnished the corresponding free-base compounds, and efficiently converted these to the corresponding Zn(II) congeners. The resulting hemiporphycene-fused porphyrins displayed nonplanar distorted structures, panchromatic absorptions with red-shifted and enhanced Q bands, and multiple reversible redox waves.

In shale reservoirs, total oil content does not necessarily show where oil is stored or how mobile it may be. Researchers led by Bo Liu at Northeast Petroleum University developed a multiscale workflow that combines swelling-extraction experiments, SEM/AFM pore characterization and molecular dynamics simulations. The study separates shale oil into five occurrence types: kerogen-swelling oil, adsorbed oil in organic pores, free oil in organic pores, adsorbed oil in inorganic pores and free oil in inorganic pores. The framework offers a tool with strong applicability across study areas for understanding oil-rock interactions and evaluating shale-oil mobility in continental shale systems.

A study in Geodesy and Geodynamics used satellite radar to examine the November 2025 Hayli Gubbi eruption in Ethiopia’s Afar Depression. Researchers combined NISAR’s left-looking radar with Sentinel-1’s right-looking observations to reconstruct three-dimensional ground movement. Although the eruption occurred at Hayli Gubbi, the strongest deformation was detected at Erta Ale, where the summit crater partially collapsed and the ground sank inward. Modeling linked this to two shallow dikes beneath Erta Ale, both about 1 km deep. The event also reactivated nine nearby faults. Compared with a larger eruption earlier in 2025, the November event was more localized and relied mainly on shallow magma storage.

A new study published in Science China Earth Sciences presents a comprehensive plan for scientific ocean drilling in the Huatung Basin, a key region in the western Pacific. Researchers propose a four-site drilling strategy for China’s new drilling vessel, Mengxiang, to resolve long-standing debates about the basin's age and the origin of the adjacent Gagua Ridge. The plan aims to determine if the Huatung Basin is a remnant of Mesozoic oceanic crust and to clarify the region's tectonic evolution, marking a potential shift for China’s role in leading international ocean drilling.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Carnegie Mellon University have unveiled a breakthrough technology that allows for highly accurate 3D motion capture using only standard video cameras, eliminating the need for expensive, specialized hardware and the iconic skin-tight motion capture suits covered in reflective markers. They named their system MAMMA – Markerless Accurate Multi-person Motion Acquisition. This system is capable of accurately capturing human motion without the need for markers, making it easy and cheap for everyone to create high-end animations and virtual avatars.

A research team has identified the odor-active compounds responsible for the soapy and metallic off-flavors when cold-pressed rapeseed oil undergoes alkali refining. 

A new review study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research published by JMIR Publications shows that adapting existing language models is the key to ensuring they can safely and effectively assist with clinical diagnoses, patient triaging, and treatment planning in real-world health care settings.