Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) refer to a group of man-made chemicals that are widely used due to their water- and stain-resistant properties and exceptional chemical stability. However, they often accumulate in the environment, causing environmental and health hazards. A team of researchers has recently shown how zinc oxide nanocrystals capped with specific ligands can efficiently defluorinate perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a well-known perfluoroalkyl substance. This approach could solve PFAS recycling challenges.

Self-harm among adolescents has become a serious public issue. Among various risk factors, parenting styles have been shown to have a significant impact. However, few studies have explored how exactly different parenting styles influence self-harm behavior. In a new study, researchers identified different parenting styles perceived by adolescent’s and clarified their link to self-harm behavior. The findings suggest that positive parenting can act as a protective shield against self-harm behavior, guiding practical intervention strategies.

Coordinating with public health officials, offering students laptops and showing them how to connect, creating Wi-Fi hubs for neighborhoods that lack them, developing new systems for distributing school lunches and offering in-person learning hubs for students whose parents were essential workers are among the many specific recommendations included in a new book about K-12 learning during a pandemic. 

A landmark invited review published in Genomic Psychiatry provides a comprehensive synthesis to date of tau protein's complex roles in both health and disease. Dr. Peng Lei of Sichuan University and colleagues examine how tau, once considered merely a structural protein, participates in iron metabolism, synaptic plasticity, and insulin signaling while also driving pathology in Alzheimer disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and, surprisingly, psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia and delirium. The synthesis spans over 300 referenced studies across more than four decades of research, revealing critical gaps in understanding tau's transition from physiological guardian to pathological driver. The review authors propose that tau dysfunction represents a convergence point for multiple neurodegenerative and psychiatric mechanisms, offering new frameworks for biomarker development and therapeutic intervention.