A comprehensive review highlights how modified biochar is rapidly emerging as a powerful tool for improving soil health, boosting crop productivity, and supporting climate-smart agriculture. At the same time, the study warns that inconsistent performance and limited understanding of soil interactions still pose challenges for widespread adoption.

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Prof. Changbum R. Ahn of the Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering has developed a behavior-based safety assessment system capable of measuring construction workers’ ability to perceive risks and respond appropriately to them, in collaboration with Prof. Jeongmi Lee’s team at the Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST. This system utilizes three tests grounded in cognitive psychology and, unlike conventional safety knowledge assessments that rely on quizzes or image interpretation, evaluates workers’ actual, real-world behavioral characteristics—including attention, speed of risk recognition, and inhibitory control. The system has attracted attention from both academia and industry and is expected to contribute to accident prevention at construction sites and to the development of customized safety training tailored to individual cognitive traits. The research findings were recently published in the international journal, Journal of Safety Research, in the fields of safety engineering and safety science.

A new study shows that a retrieval-augmented generation-based intelligent learning companion can significantly enhance students’ practical skills and flow experience in analog circuit laboratory instruction. While the system does not replace teachers in conceptual or emotional guidance, it provides highly accurate, real-time support that strengthens hands-on learning and engages students more deeply during experiments.

Counterintuitively, despite the ongoing fuel crisis and the over two decades since the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, toxic lead still lingers in Metro Manila’s air.

Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging technology aimed at mitigating global warming. However, conventional DAC technologies and the subsequent utilization processes are complex and energy-intensive. An integrated system of direct air capture and utilization (IDACU) via in-situ catalytic conversion to fuels and chemicals is a promising approach, although it remains in the early stages of development. This review examines the current technical routes of IDACU, including solid-based dual-functional materials (DFMs) through thermo-catalysis, IDACU using liquid sorbents with thermo-catalysis, and non-thermal conversion methods. It covers the basic principles, reaction conditions, main products, material types, and the existing problems and challenges associated with these technical routes. Additionally, it discusses the recent advancements in solid-based DFMs for IDACU, with particular attention to the differences in material characteristics between carbon capture from flue gases (ICCU) and DAC. While IDACU technology holds significant promise, it still faces numerous challenges, especially in the design of advanced materials.

The photocatalytic efficiency of lead-free Bi-based halide perovskites, such as Cs₃Bi₂X₉ (X = Br, I) for CO₂ reduction is often hindered by self-aggregation and insufficient oxidation ability. In this work, a visible-light-driven (λ > 420 nm) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of 0D Cs₃Bi₂I₉ nanoparticles on 1D WO₃ nanorods for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction and water oxidation is synthesized using an in situ growing approach. The resulting 0D/1D Cs₃Bi₂I₉/WO₃ Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst exhibits a visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance for selective CO production, achieving a selectivity of 98.7% and a high rate of 16.5 (µmol/(g·h), approximately three times that of pristine Cs₃Bi₂I₉. Furthermore, it demonstrates decent stability in the gas-solid photocatalytic CO₂ reduction system. The improved performance of Cs₃Bi₂I₉/WO₃ is attributed to the formation of the 0D/1D Z-scheme heterojunction, which facilitates charge transfer, reduces charge recombination, and maintains the active sites of both 0D Cs₃Bi₂I₉ for CO₂ reduction and 1D WO₃ for water oxidation. This work provides valuable insights into the potential of morphological engineering and the design of simultaneous Z-scheme heterojunction for lead-free halide perovskites.

Scientists looking for the causes of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s generally focus on the buildup of aberrant proteins in the brain that impede normal neural connections. New research from Binghamton University and Drexel University looks at a different, lesser-studied issue that also hurts patients and their quality of life: how Parkinson’s affects the human vascular system.

Variable-load unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are key tools in smart agriculture, particularly playing a vital role in the prevention and control of crop pests and diseases. Equipped with pesticide spraying equipment, these quadrotor UAVs offer advantages such as high operating speed, low risk of chemical drift, and improved crop coverage, making them widely used in agricultural plant protection. However, during spraying operations, the pesticide liquid gradually diminishes over time, leading to continuous changes in the UAV's overall mass, center of gravity position, and moment of inertia.