Scientists from China have developed a fully absorbable cranial fixation device that improves skull bone healing and stability after brain surgery. The new implant outperformed the widely used Aesculap® CranioFix clamp. The device provides stronger fixation, safer degradation, and faster postoperative skull recovery, offering a promising alternative to current metal or polymer fixation systems. These findings provide prominent significance for promoting the innovation and development of absorbable cranial flap fixation devices.

A theoretical framework predicts the emergence of non-reciprocal interactions that effectively violate Newton’s third law in solids using light, report researchers from Japan. They demonstrate that by irradiating light of a carefully tuned frequency onto a magnetic metal, one can induce a torque that drives two magnetic layers into a spontaneous, persistent “chase-and-run” rotation. This work opens a new frontier in non-equilibrium materials science and suggests novel applications in light-controlled quantum materials.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is central to gene regulation, but accurately simulating its folding is a long-standing challenge in computational biology. In a recent study, Associate Professor Tadashi Ando from Tokyo University of Science rigorously evaluated state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulation tools. By testing 26 diverse RNA stem loops, he achieved highly accurate folding predictions and outlined areas for improvement, marking a major step toward RNA-based drug discovery and design.

Researchers have confirmed the true ferrielectric state in a single-phase material, (MV)[SbBr₅]. This new polar order exhibits a unique combination of a switchable net polarization, asynchronous dipole switching, and polar-to-polar structural transitions, while enabling unprecedented electric-field control of spin-orbit coupling and circular photogalvanic effects, opening new avenues for next-generation electronics.

A new study suggests that nuclear waste, traditionally viewed as a liability, could be repurposed to generate hydrogen on an industrial scale.