Designing two-photon molecular emitters in nanoparticle-on-mirror cavities.

Two-photon spontaneous emission (TPSE) is a second-order quantum process with promising applications in quantum optics that remains largely unexplored in molecular systems, which are usually very inefficient emitters. In this work, we model the first molecular two-photon emitters and establish the design rules, highlighting their differences from those governing two-photon absorbers. Using both time-dependent density functional theory and Pariser-Parr-Pople calculations, we calculate TPSE in three π-conjugated molecules and identify a dominant pathway.

Molecular engineering based on four-arm perylene diimide chromophores toward hypoxia-induced specific photothermal therapy.

Perylene diimide (PDI) radical anions have attracted increasing attention as hypoxia-responsive photothermal agents due to their strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption and efficient photothermal conversion. However, their biomedical application is often limited by aggregation-induced quenching and poor structural tunability. In this work, we report a rationally engineered four-arm PDI derivative (PDI-4Alky·4Cl) bearing terminal alkyne groups, which not only suppresses π-π stacking steric and electrostatic repulsion, but also serves as a versatile molecular scaffold for further functionalization.

Photocrosslinked Mucoadhesive Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel for Transmucosal Drug Delivery.

Drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) is primarily hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To address this, mucoadhesive formulations have been designed to prolong residence time at the application site. In this study, we comprehensively characterized the physicochemical and mucoadhesive properties of hyaluronic acid tyramine (HATA) photocrosslinked hydrogels using rheological methods, nanoindentation, contact angle goniometry, and advanced confocal microscopy.

Giant and Tunable Optical Nonlinearity via Electrochemical Control of the Tellurium-Electrolyte Interface.

The semiconductor-electrolyte interface with strong electrical tunability offers a platform for tuning nonlinear optical (NLO) processes and achieving giant optical nonlinearities. However, such a demonstration and fundamental mechanistic understanding of electrochemically tuned NLO properties have not been reported. Here, we developed an electrochemical Z-scan system to characterize the evolution of NLO responses in tellurium nanorod films under bias voltage.

An enhancement of fluorescence and anticancer efficiency of coumarin-substituted thiosemicarbazone and its Cu therapeutic sensing.

Background: Recent advancements in cancer therapeutics have catalyzed the development of noninvasive treatment modalities, including the utilization of fluorescent chemotherapeutic agents. These agents offer dual functionality, enabling targeted drug delivery, real-time tumor imaging, and personalized therapy monitoring. Such capabilities are instrumental in the progression toward more precise and effective cancer interventions.

Real-World Experience with Intravitreal Pegcetacoplan for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To report on the real-world experience of using intravitreal pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Retrospective interventional case series.

Methods: Eyes with symptomatic GA secondary to AMD were treated with 15mg of intravitreal pegcetacoplan and participated in an ongoing prospective swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) imaging study.

A tale of two tracers - Amyloid imaging with investigational radiotracers iodine (I) evuzamitide and Tc-p5+14 (AT-05).

Systemic amyloidosis is a complex disorder, making early and accurate diagnosis challenging. The most common types are associated with misfolded transthyretin or immunoglobulin light chains, where cardiac and renal amyloidosis portend the worst prognosis. Peptide p5+14 can bind all types of amyloid via multivalent electrostatic interactions.

Pb-210 in volume samples: self-attenuation and scattering problems.

In this work we study the effect of the matrix of the source on the spectrum and on the full energy peak efficiency for low energy photons. Using realistic simulations carried out with PENELOPE 2018, including detector resolution, we show that small angle Compton scattering does contribute to the peak count rate, implying the dependence of the matrix effects on the linear attenuation coefficient μ and also on the scattering cross section. We show that the effect of Compton scattering can be removed from the apparent peak, resulting a "clean" peak depending only on μ.

Refinement of efficient encodings of movement in the dorsolateral striatum throughout learning.

The dorsal striatum plays a critical role in action selection, movement, and sensorimotor learning. While action-specific striatal ensembles have been described, the mechanisms underlying their formation and evolution during motor learning remain poorly understood. Here, we employed longitudinal two-photon Ca imaging of dorsal striatal neurons in head-fixed mice as they learned to self-initiate locomotion.

Disordered Inverse Photonic Beads Assembled From Linear Block Copolymers.

Structurally colored colloids, or photonic pigments, offer a sustainable alternative to conventional dyes, yet existing systems are constrained by limited morphologies and complex synthesis. In particular, achieving angle-independent color typically relies on disordered inverse architectures formed from synthetically demanding bottlebrush block copolymers (BCPs), hindering scalability and functional diversity. Here, we report a conceptually distinct strategy to assemble three-dimensional inverse photonic glass microparticles using amphiphilic linear BCPs (poly(styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine), PS-b-P4VP) via an emulsion-templated process.

Solid-State Quantum Coherence From a High-Spin Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer.

Molecular spin systems that can be chemically tuned, coherently controlled, and readily integrated within devices remain central to the realization of emerging quantum technologies. Organic high-spin materials are prime candidates owing to their similarity in electronic structure to leading solid-state defect-based systems, light element composition, and the potential for entanglement and qubit operations mediated through spin-spin exchange. However, the inherent instability of these species precludes their rational design, development, and application.

Controlling the Organization and Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells on Hilbert Microcapillary Scaffolds Fabricated via Two-Photon Lithography.

3D scaffold architecture is critical for directing human neural stem cell (hNSC) fate and spatial organization. In this study, two-photon lithography (TPL) is used to fabricate microcapillary scaffolds based on the Hilbert space-filling curve as biomimetic basement membrane structures for guiding hippocampal-derived hNSC differentiation. The scaffolds feature 80 µm lumens with porous ellipsoidal membranes suspended above the substrate to provide topographical cues and permit nutrient diffusion while maintaining mechanical stability.

Adaptive superposition compound eyes for perceptions under distinct light levels.

Optical superposition natural compound eyes (OSNCEs) allow circadian insects to thrive in varying light conditions thanks to their unique anatomical structures. This provides a blueprint for optical superposition artificial compound eyes (OSACEs) that can adapt to different illumination intensities. However, OSACEs have received limited research attention until recently, with most studies focusing on apposition compound eyes that operate only in bright light.

AI-driven bone mineral density prediction from chest x-rays and its association with obstructive sleep apnea.

With an increasing aging population, the prevalence of chronic comorbidities is on the rise. The potential relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and osteoporosis has garnered significant attention. Most studies examining the association between these two conditions have relied on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD).

Results of Provincial Health Institutions Participating in Individual Monitoring Intercomparisons-China, 2022 to 2024.

To improve monitoring capabilities, China CDC organized individual monitoring intercomparisons, which provincial health institutions participated in from 2022 to 2024. The irradiation schemes and evaluation criteria were designed in accordance with GBZ 207-2016, "Testing criteria of personnel dosimetry performance for external exposure." The Type II (photon) test specified in the standard was selected as the intercomparison type, with Hp(10) as the target quantity.

General Strategy to Synthesize Star-Shaped Nanographenes with Controllable Symmetries.

Nanographenes with diverse topological structures have shown enormous potential in fields such as photonics, optoelectronics, and spintronics. This work employs a "from-core-to-branch" strategy to controllably synthesize star-shaped nanographenes with various symmmetries. The obtained star-shaped nanographenes exhibit symmetry-dependent HOMO-LUMO gaps and photoluminescence quantum yields, revealing the importance of precisely controlling the molecular topologies.

Disrupted calcium dynamics and electrophysiological activity in the stratum pyramidale and hippocampal alveus during fear conditioning in the 5xFAD model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to progressive cognitive decline and significant disruptions in hippocampal neural networks, critically impacting memory and learning. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying these impairments is essential for developing effective therapies. The 5xFAD mouse model, known for progressive neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits, provides a valuable platform for investigating associative learning and memory impairments related to AD.

Atomistic Modeling of Rare Earth Ions in Photonic Materials.

Rare-earth ions (REIs), especially trivalent lanthanides (Ln ), are central to photonic technologies due to sharp intra-4f transitions, long lifetimes, and host-insensitive emission. However, modeling REIs remains challenging due to localized 4f orbitals, strong electron correlation, and multiplet structures. This review summarizes atomistic modeling strategies combining quantum chemistry and machine learning (ML).

Space-time crystals from particle-like topological solitons.

Time crystals are unexpected states of matter that spontaneously break time-translation symmetry either in a discrete or continuous manner. However, spatially mesoscale space-time crystals that break both space and time symmetries have not been reported. Here we report a continuous space-time crystal in a nematic liquid crystal driven by ambient-power, constant-intensity unstructured light.

Enhanced magnetic second-harmonic generation in an ultra-compact plasmonic nanocavity.

Observation of the second-harmonic generation (SHG) from subwavelength metallic structures is often hindered by the interrelations of higher-order multipolar contributions. In particular, the magnetic Lorentz contribution to SHG is often neglected due to the ineffective magnetic field enhancement in electrically resonant structures. Here, we demonstrate a strong Lorentz-driven SHG output at the plasmon-induced magnetic dipolar resonance in inversion-symmetry-broken plasmonic nanocavities.

Nonlinear optoelectronic engine drives monolithic integrated photonic computing.

The rapidly growing computational demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and complex optimization tasks are increasingly straining conventional electronic architectures, driving the search for novel, energy-efficient processing paradigms. Photonic computing, which harnesses the unique properties of light to perform computation, has emerged as a compelling alternative. This perspective highlights a key advancement: a versatile nonlinear optoelectronic engine based on integrated photodetectors and micro-ring modulators (PD + MRM).

Enhancement of room-temperature performance in solid-state batteries by succinonitrile-based composite solid electrolyte ion channels.

A critical barrier to commercializing solid-state batteries lies in the inadequate performance of existing solid electrolytes, particularly their poor conductivity at room temperature and unsatisfactory long-term stability. In this context, a self-healing composite solid electrolyte based on succinonitrile (SCN) reinforced with lithium lanthanum titanate (LLTO) is introduced. Leveraging the increased interfacial lithium-ion (Li) transport channels in composite systems, the resultant LLTO-enhanced SCN electrolyte demonstrates remarkable ionic conductivity of 2.

Recognizing the Universality of Copper Reconstruction Via Dissolution-Redeposition at the Onset of CO Reduction.

The electrochemical CO reduction (ECOR) on copper (Cu) remains one of the most promising pathways to convert CO into value-added products. However, it suffers from severe restructuring, resulting in the unknown structural identity of the ECOR active catalyst. Here, we show that dissolution-redeposition is the universal early-stage restructuring mechanism in ECOR, occurring across all the tested Cu morphologies, including foils, nanoparticles, oxide-derived films, and gas diffusion electrodes.

Order-to-disorder transition due to entropy in layered and 2D carbides.

In compositionally complex materials, there is controversy on the effect of enthalpy versus entropy on the structure and short-range ordering in so-called high-entropy materials. To help address this controversy, we synthesized and probed 40 MAlC layered carbide phases containing two to nine metals and found that short-range ordering from enthalpy was present until the entropy increased enough to achieve complete disordering of the transition metals in their atomic planes. We transformed all of these layered carbide phases into two-dimensional (2D) sheets and showed the effects of the order versus disorder on their surface properties and electronic behavior.