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.

Study confirms public observations match professional records for common felid species, guiding better conservation monitoring.

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.

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.

Soil acidification is one of the pressing issues confronting global farmland today. Studies indicate that approximately 40% of farmland soils worldwide are at risk of acidification. In China, the topsoil pH of major croplands has decreased by an average of 0.5 units between 1980 and 2000, largely attributed to excessive chemical fertilizer application and atmospheric acid deposition.

Sub-headline: Researchers from Shenzhen University and University of Queensland summarize the evolution of SR, exploring generative and long-term trends

 

Sub-headline: BIT researchers introduce CausalBridgeQA to tackle spurious correlations in complex multi-hop reasoning chains.