Chinese Aid for Transportation Infrastructure and Child Health in Africa.

This study investigates the impact of transportation infrastructure financed by Chinese aid on child health in 11 sub-Saharan African countries using Demographic and Health Survey data matched with the precise geospatial features of transportation infrastructure. We find that an additional year of exposure to transportation infrastructure significantly increases children's height-for-age z-scores by 0.041 standard deviations and reduces the likelihood of stunting by 1.

The overlooked pathway: A systematic review on sewage sludge treatment as a critical secondary source of terrestrial micro(nano)plastics.

Sewage sludge has long been believed as an essential sink for microplastics (MPs), with concentrations up to 1380 particles/kg dry weight. Considering that MP residues in present sewage sludge are predominantly aged, their surface characteristics have been modified, with specific surface area ranging from 1 m/g to 5 m/g and a carbonyl index increasing from 0.2 to 1.

Nonmagnetic Biomarker Detection by Nanocatalytic-Amplified Quantum Spin Relaxometry.

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond demonstrate advantages in biosensing due to their exceptional photostability and long spin coherence time. However, clinical applications of NV centers are significantly limited because their spin states lack responsiveness to nonmagnetic biomolecules. This work presents a nanocatalytic-amplified quantum sensing platform targeting tyrosinase (TYR), a key biomarker for melanoma.

Altering water flow pathway to enhance nutrient retention in lowland areas.

Nitrogen and phosphorus (N & P) reduction has been widely adopted to fight against eutrophication in management practices. Most existing N & P reduction strategies were designed by reducing N & P use or ecological restoration with high costs. To introduce low-cost strategies for N & P reduction, this study proposed enhancing N & P retention by altering water flow pathways within the artificial watersheds (polders) via hydraulic regulation in the western region of Lake Taihu Basin, China.

Inequality in mortality risk of older adults between rural and urban areas exposure to temperature variations in China.

Background: Non-optimal ambient temperatures have been demonstrated to negatively affect a variety of health outcomes, particularly population mortality. However, the mortality risk of older adults between rural and urban areas exposure to temperature variations remain unclear.

Methods: Here, leveraging the panel data for 27,193 older adults from the largest and most complete Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey during 2005-2018, we explored the impacts of temperature variations like low/high and extreme temperatures on mortality risk of older adults in China.

Angle-robust and tunable mid-infrared absorption in a Ge grating/SrTiO/VO hybrid metastructure on a metallic substrate.

We propose a dynamically tunable and angle-robust mid-infrared (mid-IR) absorber based on a hybrid metastructure composed of a top-layer Ge grating, an ultrathin SrTiO polar dielectric layer, a thermochromic VO film, and a metallic substrate. The optical response of the system is modeled using rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), revealing broadband and high-efficiency absorption across a wide range of incident angles (0°-80°) under transverse-magnetic (TM) polarization. The absorption behavior is governed by the interplay of multiple resonant mechanisms, including guided-mode resonance (GMR) in the Ge grating, phonon-polariton (PhP) excitation in the SrTiO layer, and cavity-like modes facilitated by the insulating VO.

Multidimensional social signature de-anonymizes low-sensitivity data.

Although privacy protection is increasingly important in the digital age, current measures predominantly focus on safeguarding high-sensitivity data, often overlooking the risks associated with low-sensitivity data. Here, we utilize low-sensitivity anonymous interaction data, which depict the behavioral interaction patterns between users and their contacts, to construct multidimensional social signature for identifying users in anonymous datasets. We investigate the potential of low-sensitivity social signature for user identification and propose a classification framework for measuring feature sensitivity levels.

Low-PAPR ASE-DMT Using Constellation Extension for Optical Wireless Communications.

In the realm of optical wireless communication (OWC), augmented spectral efficiency discrete multitone (ASE-DMT) has been widely recognized as a promising modulation due to its outstanding spectral efficiency and high power efficiency. However, ASE-DMT exhibits an inherently high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which exacerbates error propagation and leads to a substantial transmission performance degradation in the successive interference cancellation (SIC) receiver of ASE-DMT. Therefore, a novel low-PAPR ASE-DMT scheme (LP-ASE-DMT) is proposed in the paper.

Gel-Type Electrofluorochromic Devices for Advanced Optoelectronic Applications.

Gel-type electrofluorochromic (EFC) devices, which reversibly modulate photoluminescence under electrical stimuli, have emerged as versatile platforms for advanced optoelectronic applications. By integrating redox-active luminophores with soft, ion-conductive gel matrices, these systems combine the structural robustness of solids with the ionic mobility of liquids, enabling a high-contrast, flexible, and multifunctional operation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of gel-based EFC technologies, outlining fundamental working principles, device architectures, and key performance metrics such as contrast ratio, switching time, and cycling stability.

Lightweight Diffusion Models Based on Multi-Objective Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search.

Diffusion models have achieved remarkable success in image generation, image super-resolution, and text-to-image synthesis. Despite their effectiveness, they face key challenges, notably long inference time and complex architectures that incur high computational costs. While various methods have been proposed to reduce inference steps and accelerate computation, the optimization of diffusion model architectures has received comparatively limited attention.

A Novel Self-Regulated, Non-Directional Magnetic Thermos-Brachytherapy I Seed Enhances Anticancer Efficacy by Rescuing Immune Escape.

Integrating mild hyperthermia (MH) with I brachytherapy holds potential for overcoming treatment resistance and improving anticancer efficacy. Here, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with a suitable Curie temperature are constructed and incorporated with silver rods coated with I to form composite seeds. In vitro simulations and in vivo validations demonstrated their effective performance in radiation dose and temperature control.

Large increase in anthropogenic emissions in an urban environment and their associated air quality implications.

Anthropogenic aerosols play a crucial role in contributing to visibility reduction, degrading air quality, altering the hydrological cycle, and perturbing the Earth's atmospheric energy balance. This study investigates the anthropogenic particulate matter emissions and their associated impacts on air quality, with a particular emphasis on the rising problem of smog formation in Peshawar, Pakistan. Therefore, for the first time, this study assesses US Consulate NowCast data on fine particulate matter (PM) with ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) data on trace gases over the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2024.

Quantum integration in swin transformer mitigates overfitting in breast cancer screening.

To explore the potential of quantum computing in advancing transformer-based deep learning models for breast cancer screening, this study introduces the Quantum-Enhanced Swin Transformer (QEST). This model integrates a Variational Quantum Circuit (VQC) to replace the fully connected layer responsible for classification in the Swin Transformer architecture. In simulations, QEST exhibited competitive accuracy and generalization performance compared to the original Swin Transformer, while also demonstrating an effect in mitigating overfitting.

Using Vibration for Secure Pairing With Implantable Medical Devices: Development and Usability Study.

Background: Implantable medical devices (IMDs), such as pacemakers, increasingly communicate wirelessly with external devices. To secure this wireless communication channel, a pairing process is needed to bootstrap a secret key between the devices. Previous work has proposed pairing approaches that often adopt a "seamless" design and render the pairing process imperceptible to patients.

Research on the impact of climate change on food security in Africa.

Global warming and the rising frequency of extreme climate events pose significant threats to food security. We examine the influence of climate change on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific emphasis on four key crops: maize, rice, wheat, and soybeans. We employ a random forest model to estimate spatial and temporal yield trends based on climate variables, land‑use patterns, and irrigation ratios.

Multi-kernel inception-enhanced vision transformer for plant leaf disease recognition.

The timely and precise identification of diseases in plants is essential for efficient disease control and safeguarding of crops. Manual identification of diseases requires expert knowledge in the field, and finding people with domain knowledge is challenging. To overcome the challenge, computer vision-based machine learning techniques have been proposed by the researchers in recent years.

Optimization of TCN-BiLSTM for dissolved oxygen prediction based on improved sparrow search algorithm.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a crucial indicator of water quality in river ecosystems, and its accurate prediction plays a vital role in the protection and sustainable utilization of these ecosystems. However, current DO prediction models often struggle with issues such as noise in the water quality data and insufficient feature extraction. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a dissolved oxygen prediction method based on an improved sparrow search algorithm optimized TCN- BiLSTM (SMI-TCN BiLSTM).

Substantial reductions in black carbon from both fossil fuels and biomass burning during China's Clean Air Action.

Black carbon (BC) aerosols exacerbate air pollution and climate warming, but their climatic impacts and sources are poorly constrained by bottom-up emission inventories (EIs). China's Clean Air Action (CAA), which was launched in 2013, provides an excellent opportunity for investigating interannual variations in source contributions and validate the accuracy of EIs. Here, we present an 11-y (2008-2018) record of the BC concentration and its source-diagnostic radiocarbon (C) and stable carbon isotope (C) signatures at a receptor site in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, South China.

Near-Full-Spectrum Emission Control in Copper(I) Iodides via Inorganic Structural Engineering Within a Single-Cation Host.

Hybrid copper(I) halides have emerged as a new class of optoelectronic materials due to their tunable structure and photophysical properties. However, systematically correlating inorganic polyhedra configurations with emission characteristics remains challenging. Herein, we address this by synthesizing a homologous series of copper(I) iodides templated solely by the [CHN] cation.

Heteroatom-Modulated Asymmetric Cobalt Single-Atom Catalysts on MOF-Derived Carbon Enabling Durable Zinc-Iodine Batteries.

The rational design of catalytic host materials with optimized electronic structures and confined architectures is crucial for addressing the shuttle effect and sluggish kinetics in aqueous zinc-iodine batteries. In this study, an asymmetric cobalt single-atom catalyst is developed by anchoring Co-NP sites on a nitrogen-phosphorus co-doped carbon matrix (Co-N-PC) derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The coordination engineering of Co centers via phosphorus incorporation disrupts the symmetry of conventional Co-N configurations, enhancing charge redistribution and reducing the energy barrier for iodine dissociation as confirmed by density functional theory calculations.

Changes in the trade-offs between photosynthesis and detoxification capacity among different tree species under ozone pollution.

The persistent elevation of ozone (O) levels threatens urban air quality, further exacerbating human diseases and harming vegetation. Urban tree species can take up gaseous pollutants including O, through the stomata, to improve air quality and other services for urban ecosystems. In this study, we exposed five urban tree species to five O gradients during one growing season.

A highly sensitive ECL biosensor for NF-κB p50 detection based on entropy-driven amplification and CRISPR/Cas12a signal enhancement.

Transcription factors, particularly NF-κB p50, play crucial roles in regulating gene expression and are involved in several diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and chronic inflammation. The sensitive detection of NF-κB p50 is essential for clinical diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring. In this study, we present an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor designed for the highly sensitive and specific detection of NF-κB p50.

Engineering surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies of CeZrO solid solution for enhanced total toluene oxidation.

Most studies have shown that oxygen vacancies on CeZrO solid solution are important for enhancing the catalytic oxidation performance. However, a handful of studies investigated the different roles of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies on the performance and mechanisms of catalysts. Herein, a series of zirconium doping on CeO samples (CeO, CeZrO, and CeZrO) with various surface-to-subsurface oxygen vacancies ratios have been synthesized and applied in toluene catalytic oxidation.

Integrating Eco-DRR into landslide susceptibility assessment: The critical role of eco-environmental factors.

Understanding the factors driving landslide susceptibility is essential for improving risk assessment and disaster management. Traditional assessments often emphasize structural factors such as topography and geology, while overlooking eco-environmental variables. In this case study from western Rwanda, we propose a multidimensional landslide susceptibility assessment framework grounded in Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) principles, using a Random Forest model.

Concentration-dependent effects of boron fertilizer on growth, yield, and quality of buckwheat.

Introduction: Boron is an essential trace element for plant growth and development, playing a critical role in flowering, fruit setting, nutrient transport, and stress resistance in crops. Buckwheat is‌ an important coarse grain crop, ‌and‌ its yield and quality are easily affected by boron nutritional status.

Methods: In order to identify the optimal concentration of boron fertilizer to maximize growth and yield of buckwheat, pot experiments and field trials were carried out at different mass concentrations of boron fertilizer solution: 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 mg/L.