Researchers have developed a cellulose-based hydrogel sensor that maintains stable sensing performance in extreme cold using a zinc chloride and lithium bromide molten salt hydrate system, offering a sustainable and biodegradable platform for next-generation flexible wearable devices and human-machine interfaces. Published in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, the study introduces a binary molten salt hydrate approach to dissolve natural cellulose efficiently within ten minutes. The resulting ionically conductive hydrogel achieves an impressive conductivity of 4.48 S/m and compressive strength of 2.48 MPa. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed no water crystallization exothermic peaks from -80°C to 20°C, indicating exceptional anti-freezing capability. The material's shear-thinning properties further enable 3D printing of customized sensor geometries for human-machine interfaces.

 

Prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC) represent states in which patients fail to show reliable evidence of awareness after severe brain injury. Despite the availability of validated tools, the misdiagnosis rate associated with pDOC is considerably high. Local field potentials (LFPs) provide data for calibrating non-invasive biomarkers and help in understanding mechanistic substrates of consciousness. The study presents current evidence on intracranial LFP features in pDOC.

Tooth autotransplantation offers a unique way to replace missing teeth using a patient's own tooth, but its success depends on accurate recipient socket preparation, which requires exceptional surgical precision. This study explores whether an autonomous multi-axis robotic system can overcome one of the procedure's greatest challenges by creating patient-specific recipient sockets with advanced surface-conforming milling. The research compares this innovative approach with a conventional guided technique, offering fresh insights into the future of precision dentistry. 

Researchers from Beihang University, Truth Memory Corporation, Aix-Marseille University and Université Paris-Saclay has successfully transitioned the emerging physics concept of "orbitronics" from theoretical study to practical application in next-generation magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). By designing a highly efficient ruthenium-tungsten write electrode, the researchers demonstrated ultrafast writing of MRAM devices with a pulse of 28.7 ps, and solved critical industrial bottlenecks in MRAM yield and area penalty, paving the way for ultra-low-power memories.

Landau quantization is a cornerstone of quantum Hall effects. However, controlling Landau-level spacing and the spatial profiles of Landau modes through complex-valued gauge fields has remained largely unexplored. Now, a collaborative team from Beijing Institute of Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Exeter, and The University of Hong Kong, writing in Science Bulletin, demonstrates a mechanism for tuning Landau quantization. By constructing a real pseudo-magnetic field and an imaginary pseudo-electric field, the researchers enlarge the Landau-level spacing and enhance mode localization. These findings establish a versatile framework for tailoring non-Hermitian Landau levels and may advance applications in mode-selective filtering, field concentration, and wave-based sensing.

While light scattering is widely utilized in optical metrology and measurement, it has long been regarded as detrimental in laser-material processing. Scientist in China proposed an interferometric scattering-based optical tomoslicing technology (i-SOT), which overturns this conventional view and kerf widths as narrow as 7 nm under an industrial standard efficiency were achieved. This unprecedented axial resolution enables nearly lossless laser wafering from ingots——with transformative potential for manufacturing laser crystals, photovoltaics, and microelectronic chips.

A research team has found that replacing 15% of mineral nitrogen fertilizer with organic manure can accelerate soil nitrogen cycling while significantly reducing nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from tobacco fields. 

A compact genetic barcode could help cacao (Theobroma cacao) collections move from uncertain labels to reliable digital identities.

A key gene that controls chloroplast development in plants has been found to also regulate red pigment production in kiwifruit through a previously unknown dual-action mechanism. 

A research team has assembled the first haplotype-resolved, telomere-to-telomere genome of monk fruit, creating a complete genetic map of a crop valued for mogroside V, a natural sweetener about 300 times sweeter than sucrose.