Cancer is the leading cause of death globally, with nearly 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths in 2022. Due to its vague initial symptoms, cancer is often difficult to detect in its early stages. Liquid biopsy, a revolutionary approach in oncology, provides a minimally invasive, real-time method for cancer detection, monitoring, and characterization by examining circulating tumor components in body fluids. This review presents current technologies and clinical applications of liquid biopsy, focusing particularly on its value for early cancer diagnosis. Liquid biopsy enables molecular profiling of cancer for precision oncology by isolating circulating extracellular nucleic acids (cell-free DNA), circulating tumor DNA, and circulating tumor cells from blood and other body fluids. Cell-free DNA, which circulates freely in the blood, may or may not be tumor-derived, while circulating tumor DNA is specifically of tumor origin. Additionally, circulating tumor cells can be isolated from blood; these cells, shed from tumors into the bloodstream, typically survive only 1–2.5 h before immune clearance, though a small fraction can persist and metastasize to distant sites. Exosomes, small membrane-bound vesicles secreted by tumor cells, also carry molecular information about the tumor and have become a valuable source of biomarkers in liquid biopsy. Advances in detection technologies for these analytes have expanded the utility of liquid biopsy, facilitating the identification of somatic mutations and actionable genomic alterations in tumors. Finally, this review discusses the opportunities and challenges facing liquid biopsy and offers insights into its future development.

This review explores the integration of complexity science—specifically, the biological holographic phenomenon and chaos-fractal theory—with the fundamental principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to optimize perioperative recovery. It examines how these theories provide a scientific foundation for developing a digital TCM diagnosis and treatment platform. Key topics discussed include the application of digital four-diagnosis technology, visualization of perioperative Yin-Yang states, and artificial intelligence-driven biomarker discovery. By quantifying and digitizing core TCM concepts, this approach enables their incorporation into Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols. Ultimately, the review highlights the potential of integrating TCM with Western medicine to advance personalized postoperative management, offering both theoretical insights and practical strategies for improving perioperative care.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology enables the direct interaction between brain signals and external devices, helping people with neurologic injury communicate with or control real or virtual objects by bypassing damaged neurologic regions. Intracortical BCIs, a subset of invasive BCIs, are valuable tools for finely interpreting brain activity and controlling external devices.

Researchers from the Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and Robotics Institute (RI) at Carnegie Mellon University introduced a novel method for fabricating functional flat-to-shape objects using a computer-controlled sewing machine. 

The team’s method uses the sewing machine to stitch pockets between layers of fabric, and stiff panels are inserted into the pockets. Multiple fabrics types can be used, ranging from muslin for heavy-duty applications to more delicate fabrics for decorative purposes. The materials can also be customized on a panel-by-panel basis to adapt to each object’s needs. 

The researchers demonstrated how the materials can be chosen to support a variety of functional goals, such as using thicker plywood for a human-weight supporting chair and custom LED panels with sheer fabric for a functional lamp. Additionally, The technique also allows for additional mechanisms such as cords, magnets, and hook-and-loop fasteners to direct and stabilize flat-to-shape transitions. 

Biomass is currently the EU’s largest renewable energy source, but climate strategies often focus on other energy sources. A comprehensive analysis, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, now shows that biomass is crucial for Europe's ability to reach its climate targets, as it can be used to produce fossil-free fuels and chemicals and also enables carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. If biomass were excluded from the European energy system, it would cost an extra 169 billion Euros per year – about the same as the cost of excluding wind power.