BMW M Ignite technology: Innovative new technology for all six-cylinder in-line engines from BMW M. - BMW Group

Many automakers have opted to add an electric motor (or two) and a high-voltage battery pack to form a hybrid power train to make an internal-combustion engine more fuel-efficient, but you can go the route of cylinder deactivation. As the name suggests, cylinder deactivation temporarily shuts down some cylinders when the engine does not need its full power output, which helps with fuel efficiency and thereby reduces carbon-dioxide emissions. You'll usually find cylinder deactivation tech in larger engines, such as Chevrolet's 5.3-liter EcoTec V8, although some four-cylinder engines also use it — Volkswagen's 1.5-liter TSI Evo 2 and Mazda's 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G come to mind. But while the idea of shutting down cylinders to save on fuel and cut emissions sounds great on paper, things aren't so cut-and-dry in real life. Cylinder deactivation adds mechanical and electronic complexity to an engine. Depending on the design, a cylinder deactivation system may rely on oil-pressure-controlled valve lifters and specialized valve mechanisms to switch cylinders on and off.

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More than a decade after Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified, the world still has a limited view of where it is circulating. Two studies published this month in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases look at why. One audits the public genomic record. The other tests whether COVID-19 exposure can make antibody tests give misleading results. MERS-CoV is carried by dromedary camels and spills over into people intermittently. As of September 29, 2026, health authorities worldwide had reported 2,649 cases, including 960 deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s running tally of WHO and national data, a fatality rate of about 36%. Saudi Arabia accounts for about 84% of cases. Reports have declined sharply in recent years, and ECDC noted earlier this year that newly reported cases are at their lowest level since 2014. No licensed vaccine or therapeutic exists.

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