Essay: Photonic Crystals as a Platform to Explore New Physics.

Photonic crystals are artificial materials characterized by a photonic band structure that governs the propagation of light waves. The photonic gap was originally introduced to inhibit spontaneous emission and facilitate photon localization. In this essay, I will highlight how, despite the established understanding of photonic crystals, they remain highly relevant today.

Majorana Zero Modes in the Lieb-Kitaev Model with Tunable Quantum Metric.

The relation between band topology and Majorana zero energy modes (MZMs) in topological superconductors had been well studied in the past decades. However, the relation between the quantum metric and MZMs has yet to be understood. In this Letter, we first construct a three band Lieb-like lattice model with an isolated flat band and tunable quantum metric.

Direct Evidence of Intrinsic Mott State and Its Layer-Parity Oscillation in a Breathing Kagome Crystal Down to Monolayer.

We report direct spectroscopic evidence of correlation-driven Mott states in layered Nb_{3}Cl_{8} through combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and dynamical mean-field theory. The Hubbard bands persist down to monolayer, providing the definitive evidence for the Mottness in Nb_{3}Cl_{8}. While the size of the Mott gap remains almost constant across all layers, a striking layer-parity-dependent oscillation emerges in the local density of states (LDOS) between even (n=2, 4, 6) and odd layers (n=1, 3, 5), which arises from the dimerization and correlation modulation of the obstructed atomic states, respectively.

Spatial mapping of chiral-induced spin selectivity in chiral perovskite via spin-Schottky junction.

Chiral halide perovskite (c-HP) semiconductors exhibit on average a large chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. Nevertheless, the microscopic details of CISS and its integration in opto-spintronic constructs remain nascent. Reliable reporting of CISS performance characteristics represents a significant challenge in providing the necessary design rules.

Symmetry Breaking Assisted Fast Reverse Intersystem Crossing for Efficient TADF Materials.

Reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process is critical for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials to realize spin-flip of triplet excitons in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), but the RISC processes of most TADF materials are not fast enough, undermining electroluminescence (EL) efficiency stability and operational lifetime. Herein, a symmetry breaking strategy to accelerate RISC processes is proposed. By designing asymmetric electron-withdrawing backbone consisting of benzonitrile and xanthone/thioxanthone groups, two new asymmetric TADF molecules, 4tCzCN-pXT and 4tCzCN-pTXT, with multiple 3,6-di-tert-butylcarbazole donors are successfully developed.

Optoelectronic polymer memristors with dynamic control for power-efficient in-sensor edge computing.

As the demand for edge platforms in artificial intelligence increases, including mobile devices and security applications, the surge in data influx into edge devices often triggers interference and suboptimal decision-making. There is a pressing need for solutions emphasizing low power consumption and cost-effectiveness. In-sensor computing systems employing memristors face challenges in optimizing energy efficiency and streamlining manufacturing due to the necessity for multiple physical processing components.

Emission characteristics of full-volatility organic compounds from China's aluminum-products industry and their impacts on secondary organic aerosol and ozone potentials.

China's aluminum-products industry, a large-scale consumer of industrial paints, is a potentially significant source of full-volatility organic compounds (F-VOCs). However, the emission characteristics of F-VOCs, including VOCs, intermediate-, semi-, and low-volatility organic compounds (I/S/LVOCs), and their role in ozone formation potentials (OFP), and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials (SOAP) remain unclear. In this study, we collected in-field samples from three industrial paints (solvent-based, water-based and powder paints) at spraying and drying processes, and treatment devices to analyze the emission characteristics of F-VOCs, OFP, SOAP.

The response of dissolved organic matter dynamics to flood events in tidal estuaries.

Tidal estuaries serve as critical zones for biogeochemical connectivity between terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. With climate change magnifying the impact of flood events on riverine system, dissolved organic matter (DOM) cycling, the largest reactive elemental pool in ecosystems, in tidal estuaries tend to be more complex and remain poorly understood. To address this gap, the response of DOM dynamics to flood events in a typical tidal estuary was explored.

High-throughput phytoplankton monitoring and screening of harmful and bloom-forming algae in coastal waters with updated functional screening database.

Climate change and anthropogenic pressures alter phytoplankton phenology, distribution, and bloom frequency. Healthy phytoplankton communities are crucial for biogeochemical processes, blue carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation. By employing high-throughput 18S V4 rRNA metabarcoding, we addressed the need for profiling phytoplankton community and response mechanisms in urbanized coastal ecosystems.

Recent Progress In Organic High-Temperature Photothermal Materials.

Organic high-temperature photothermal materials (T > 100 °C) have demonstrated significant application values because of their ability to exceed the temperature limits of traditional organic photothermal materials, enabling spatiotemporally controllable long-distance heating and high-temperature conversion of laser or sunlight. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in organic high-temperature photothermal materials, mainly including organic small molecule and polymer materials. Their photothermal conversion mechanisms and the factors influencing their performance as well as their applications, including photo controlled ignition/deflagration, photothermal induced actuators, photo controlled metal processing, and concentrated sunlight energy conversion were elaborated.

Insights into the Evolutionary and Ecological Roles of in Arsenic Detoxification.

Arsenic (As) is a prevalent toxic element, posing significant risks to organisms, including microbes. While microbial arsenic detoxification has been extensively studied in bacteria, archaeal mechanisms remain understudied. Here, we investigated arsenic resistance genes in , one of the most abundant archaeal lineages on Earth.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Intermolecular [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of Unactivated Allenes and Alkynes with Unusual Regioselectivity.

Described here is an efficient protocol for intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of unactivated and unsymmetrical allenes and alkynes with unusual regioselectivity, counterintuitively favoring the most hindered isomer. CpRu(MeCN)PF served as a uniquely effective catalyst, providing diverse 3-alkylidenecyclobutenes with a broad scope and good functional group compatibility. Both experiments and DFT studies provided important insights into the mechanism, particularly the unusual regioselectivity.

AI-Driven quality assurance in mammography: Enhancing quality control efficiency through automated phantom image evaluation in South Korea.

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning-based model for automated evaluation of mammography phantom images, with the goal of improving inter-radiologist agreement and enhancing the efficiency of quality control within South Korea's national accreditation system.

Materials And Methods: A total of 5,917 mammography phantom images were collected from the Korea Institute for Accreditation of Medical Imaging (KIAMI). After preprocessing, 5,813 images (98.

DNA Hydrogel-Interfaced Organic Electrochemical Transistor for the Investigation of Binding-Induced Conformational Change of Small Molecule Aptamers.

Investigation of the small molecule-aptamer interaction is difficult, and it usually lacks information about the conformational change of aptamers that is important for their application. Here, we present the label-free investigation of small molecule-aptamer interactions using a modularized organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) platform. Leveraging the high sensitivity of the OECT, we measured the conformational change of the aptamer encountering its ligand.

Unveiling the effect of Fe(III) and sulfate on ammonium oxidation under anaerobic condition: interactions and extracellular electron transfer.

Enhanced ammonium (10.6 - 14.7%) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN, 4.

Ferromagnetic Surface Segregation via Stress-Concentration Coupling Boosts the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in RuO.

RuO, the benchmark catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), has traditionally been considered Pauli paramagnetic; however, recent findings have demonstrated its antiferromagnetic (AFM) properties, hinting at the opportunity to enhance RuO's OER performance by manipulating its magnetic traits. In this study, we successfully induced weak ferromagnetism in commercial RuO, transitioning it from an AFM state using an electrochemical sodiation method. This process resulted in high activity, achieving an overpotential of 145 mV to reach 10 mA cm and extending the service hours by more than 13 times compared to pristine RuO in 0.

An arbitrary-modal fusion network for volumetric cranial nerves tract segmentation.

The segmentation of cranial nerves (CNs) tract provides a valuable quantitative tool for the analysis of the morphology and trajectory of individual CNs. Multimodal CN segmentation networks, e.g.

Allele-Specific Regulation of PAXIP1-AS1 by SMC3/CEBPB at rs112651172 in Psychiatric Disorders Drives Synaptic and Behavioral Dysfunctions in Mice.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are highly heritable psychiatric disorders with complex genetic and environmental underpinnings. Allele-specific expression (ASE) has emerged as a critical mechanism linking noncoding genetic variants to disease risk through epigenetic and environmental modulation. Here, whole-genome and transcriptome analyses of monozygotic twin pairs discordant for BPD or SCZ are performed, identifying that noncoding genetic variants drive differential ASE patterns of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in affected individuals compared to their unaffected co-twins.

Automatic Differentiation is Essential in Training Neural Networks for Solving Differential Equations.

Neural network-based approaches have recently shown significant promise in solving partial differential equations (PDEs) in science and engineering, especially in scenarios featuring complex domains or incorporation of empirical data. One advantage of the neural network methods for PDEs lies in its automatic differentiation (AD), which necessitates only the sample points themselves, unlike traditional finite difference (FD) approximations that require nearby local points to compute derivatives. In this paper, we quantitatively demonstrate the advantage of AD in training neural networks.

CPK12 decodes effector-triggered calcium signaling and phosphorylates PIP2;1 to facilitate apoplastic ROS transport into the cytoplasm in Arabidopsis.

Effector-triggered immunity (ETI) in plants is mediated by intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs), which converge on calcium (Ca) signaling pathways. However, how NLR-induced Ca signals initiate downstream immune responses, such as enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, remains largely unclear. In this study, we identified a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CPK) that regulates sustained ETI-ROS signaling.

Evaluation and Diagnosis of Regional Ammonia Emission Inventory in the Pearl River Delta Using Multisite NH Observations and Model Simulations.

Ammonia (NH) has attracted increasing attention for its reduction potential in fine particulate matter mitigation, yet current NH emission inventories involve substantial uncertainties. Previous bottom-up NH inventories are usually constrained by satellite observations, deposition measurements, or isotopic analysis and still lack careful validation at fine regional scales. This study develops a novel diagnostic framework combining multisite NH observations across the Pearl River Delta (PRD) with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model simulations and machine learning techniques to evaluate and refine a regional NH inventory.

Zinc ions coordinated carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel doped with ellagic acid for accelerative diabetic wound healing.

Diabetic wound healing remains a critical clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation derived from long-term hyperglycemia. To address this challenge, we reported a zinc ion coordinated CMCS hydrogel for pH responsive delivery of ellagic acid to fulfill diabetic wound management. The incorporation of zinc ions and EA reinforce the hydrogel network via coordination and hydrogen bonding, and confer a pH-responsive release of EA under simulative wound microenvironment.

Transformational Advances in the Case for 1D Superconductivity Over 3D: Uncovering Science and Envisioning the Future.

In this review paper, we begin by introducing the fundamental concepts of superconductivity, laying the groundwork for understanding its principles and applications. We then delve into the scientific advantages of one-dimensional (1D) superconductors over three-dimensional (3D) superconductors, highlighting the main significant enhancement in the upper critical field, which can increase by two orders of magnitude. This feature is crucial for advancing the technological performance of superconducting high-field magnets.

Dynamic Fe─F Coordination Triggered Structure-Adaptive Fe-N-C for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis.

The sustainable and widespread developments of fuel cells require material innovation toward the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Although iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon material (Fe-N-C) is a promising alternative to scarce and expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts, the linear scaling relationships among the intermediates' adsorption energy limit maximum performance. Herein, we propose a coordination-adaptive catalyst design to bypass the intrinsic scaling relations through incorporating quasi-covalent Fe─F bond.