Ultra-thin crystalline silicon is an exciting material for next-generation bioelectronics, transforming rigid silicon into flexible nanomembranes while preserving superior electrical performance and CMOS compatibility. A new review paper systematically explores its manufacturing roadmap—from high-temperature on-wafer processes like oxidation and doping, through transfer printing techniques, to diverse applications including wearable health monitors, electrophysiological sensors, personalized neuromodulation, bio-integrated prosthetics, and bioresorbable implants that dissolve post-use.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and February’s designation as American Heart Month serves as an annual reminder of the importance of heart health. In a Q&A, Dr. Ramy Sadek, a board-certified cardiologist with UCR Health, discusses how lifestyle changes, appropriate medical screening, and managing risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol can reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.

India’s vast network of overhead power lines presents a persistent challenge for inspection and maintenance, with current methods proving either unsafe or prohibitively expensive. Two undergraduate students from IITGN’s Mechanical Engineering Department are addressing this gap by developing a wire-crawling robot that can autonomously traverse high-voltage power lines for inspection. What began as a classroom assignment for Nikhil Kumar Lal and Manas Kalal has evolved into a tangible prototype, whose thoughtful mechanical design is addressing large-scale infrastructure needs.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a deep learning algorithm that analyzes drone, camera and sensor data to reveal unusual vehicle patterns that may indicate illicit activity, including the movement of nuclear materials.

Pasi Tuunainen grew up observing the academic career of his researcher father and decided that he would never become one himself. Yet, today, he is one of Finland’s leading military historians and a newly appointed professor at the University of Eastern Finland.

Soy pavement technology developed by Iowa State engineers helped fix 24 miles of rural roads in northeast Iowa's Clayton and Fayette counties and the town of Volga. The "soy roads" used 12,000 to 15,000 bushels of soybeans and eliminated the need for 40,000 barrels of crude oil. 

A research team led by the Department of Medicine, under the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has synergised impacts of worldwide clinical trial data through a series of meta-analyses on GLP‑1 receptor agonists, an emerging cardiometabolic drug, offering in-depth insights into its safety profile and novel therapeutic potential in treating cardiovascular diseases. The study found that there was no definite risk of ischaemic optic neuropathy associated with GLP-1 agonist use in patients with diabetes or heart diseases. It also revealed that cardiac patients with obesity may improve the long-term success rate of curative catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation by adopting various weight-control measures, along with appropriate medication. These findings will help frontline clinicians perform more comprehensive risk‑benefit assessments before prescribing medications.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Lee Ho Seong) has collaborated with the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL, Acting Director Park Jaehun) to develop a diatomite-based Certified Reference Material (CRM) that enables accurate measurement of hexavalent chromium concentrations in environmental samples. This CRM is the first in the world to apply synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to analyze hexavalent chromium in environmental samples without the need for sample pre-treatment, a key innovation that ensures accurate measurements and eliminates species transformation that could otherwise lead to biased results. The new CRM is expected to enhance the accuracy and reliability of hazardous substance testing by providing an objective benchmark for evaluating and calibrating measurement results produced by environmental analysis laboratories.

Dr. Byeongock Kim, Principal Researcher at the AX Convergence Research Center of the Virtual Engineering Platform Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM, President Seog-Hyeon Ryu), under the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST; Chairman Young-Sik Kim), in collaboration with P&S Co., Ltd. (CEO Bong-Soo Park), has developed the core technology for a high-precision automated balancing machine. This technology is the outcome of two projects which have been supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) since 2020.