Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have partnered with NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and the Institute of Nuclear Physics in the Polish Academy of Sciences to develop a method that facilitates the manufacture of particularly efficient magnetic nanomaterials in a relatively simple process based on inexpensive raw materials. Using a highly focused ion beam, they imprint magnetic nanostrips consisting of tiny, vertically aligned nanomagnets onto the materials. As the researchers have reported in the journal Advanced Functional Materials (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202513904), this geometry makes the material highly sensitive to external magnetic fields and current pulses.

Liver cancer remains a significant global health challenge with limited effective treatments. A new study published in Med Research utilizes multiomics analysis to reveal how the traditional medicinal plant Lobelia chinensis Lour (LCL) exerts potential anticancer effects. Researchers identified specific bioactive components in LCL that target key cell cycle proteins—CCNB1, CCNB2, and CDK1—thereby inhibiting tumor progression. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of LCL and suggest new diagnostic markers for liver cancer prognosis.

Researchers have developed DrugtargetMR, a comprehensive computational tool designed to bridge the gap between genetic discoveries and clinical applications. By integrating multi-omics data with advanced statistical modeling in a unified R framework, the software simplifies the identification of causal genes and therapeutic targets for complex human traits, making sophisticated post-GWAS analysis accessible to the broader scientific community.

Researchers have published a comprehensive review exploring the critical role of the "immune microenvironment" in the progression of major chronic diseases. The study details how interactions between immune cells, cytokines, and the extracellular matrix contribute to conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The review emphasizes that targeting this microenvironment offers promising new avenues for diagnosis and immunotherapy, potentially shifting the paradigm of chronic disease management.

 

A new review article published in Med Research explores the application of microcalorimetry to measure the "four properties" (cold, hot, warm, and cool) of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). By interpreting these ancient concepts through modern thermodynamics and biological heat monitoring, researchers propose a standardized, scientific framework called the "Stylization of TCM" to enhance quality control, clinical safety, and international acceptance.

Pneumoconiosis remains a prevalent occupational disease with limited treatment options. A new review study elucidates the critical role of ferroptosis—a specific type of regulated cell death—in the progression of the disease. The researchers detail how silica dust triggers ferroptosis in lung cells and propose that targeting this mechanism with specific inhibitors could offer a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for slowing lung fibrosis and failure.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) have gained significant attention in electrocatalysis research due to their distinctive multi-element composition, intricate electronic structure, and superior properties. By harnessing multi-component synergy, precise electron regulation, and the high-entropy effect, HEA electrocatalysts exhibit remarkable catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. These materials demonstrate outstanding catalytic performance in a variety of electrocatalytic small molecule reduction reactions, including oxygen reduction (ORR), hydrogen evolution (HER), and CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR), making them promising candidates for clean energy conversion and storage applications, including fuel cells, metal-air batteries, water electrolysis, and CO₂ conversion technologies. This review highlights recent advancements in HEA electrocatalyst research, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and applications in electrocatalytic small molecule reduction reactions. It also explores the underlying mechanisms of the high-entropy effect, multi-component synergy, and structural design. Finally, it discusses key challenges that remain in the application of HEAs for electrocatalytic small molecule reduction and outlines potential directions for future development in this field.

NH₃ has emerged as a promising candidate for low-carbon gas turbines, with NO_x emission issues being mitigated by air-staged combustion. However, the role of fuel/air mixing quality (represented by unmixedness) in NO_x formation in NH₃ systems remains poorly explored. In this study, the characteristics of NO_x formation under the effects of unmixedness have been numerically investigated using an NH₃/CH₄ fired air-staged model combustor consisting of perfectly stirred reactors (PSRs) and plug flow reactors (PFRs), employing the 84-species, 703-reaction Tian mechanism under H/J heavy duty gas turbine conditions. It was found that a primary-stage equivalence ratio of 1.2–1.5 corresponds to a low NO_x formation region under perfectly mixed fuel and air conditions. In this region, a relatively low NO_x formation is achieved when the unmixedness is less than 0.12 and NO_x formation exhibits low sensitivity to fuel/air unmixedness. Based on these findings and the fact that the air-staged combustion loses its advantage in reducing NO_x emissions when the unmixedness exceeds 0.12 across all equivalence ratios, recommended mixing quality thresholds for different equivalence ratios are proposed to guide combustor design and operation optimization. A parametric study of chemical reaction pathways at different unmixedness levels in the two stages demonstrates that NO_x is mainly formed in the main combustion zone of the secondary stage via the HNO pathway, which results in NO_x formation rising to thousand ppm when unmixedness exceeds 0.3, although NO_x reduction through NHi and N₂O pathways partially offsets contributions from the HNO and thermal NO_x pathways. To leverage the NO_x reduction potential of the NH_i and N₂O pathways, the residence time in both stages should be carefully adjusted to help suppress NO_x to as low as 48 ppm. The results of this study are important for engineering applications, providing guidance for the design of NH₃ fired combustors aimed at significantly reducing NO_x formation.