In a paper published in National Science Review, a Chinese team of scientists presents the role of pyrope garnet in water transport from the upper mantle to the topmost lower mantle. Pure single crystals of pyrope garnet were synthesized at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions of the upper mantle to the top lower mantle using a large-volume press. Pyrope garnet can contain up to 2000 wt. ppm water with a strong dependence on pressure and temperature in the transition zone and topmost lower mantle. Hydrated pyrope garnet may serve as a vital water carrier and reservoir in the deep mantle, offering new insights into water cycling up to the topmost lower mantle.

Medical image segmentation plays a crucial role in facilitating clinical diagnosis and treatment, yet it poses numerous challenges due to variations in object appearances and sizes with indistinct boundaries. This paper introduces the MHSAttResDU-Net architecture, a novel approach to automatic medical image segmentation. Drawing inspiration from the double U-Net, multi-head self-attention (MHSA) model, and residual connections, the proposed model is trained on images pre-processed by the innovative ranking-based color constancy approach (RCC). The MHSAttResDU-Net includes the integration of RCC to control model complexity and enhance generalization across diverse lighting conditions. Additionally, the incorporation of the sparse salient region pooling (SSRP) unit in the encoder-decoder blocks reduces the dimension of feature maps, capturing essential local and global channel descriptors without introducing learnable parameters. MHSA gates are strategically employed in both down-sampling and up-sampling paths, allowing the recollection of additional relevant dimensional data. This effectively addresses dissimilar feature representations, minimizing unfocused noise and artifacts while reducing computational costs. Furthermore, Leaky ReLU-based residual connections between the encoder and decoder enhance the model’s capability to recognize complex shapes and structures, ensuring improved gradient flow and faster convergence. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the MHSAttResDU-Net architecture across diverse datasets, including COVID-19, ISIC 2018, CVC-ClinicDB, and the 2018 Data Science Bowl. The model achieves state-of-the-art performance metrics, including an accuracy of 99%, representing a promising advancement in automated medical image analysis with potential implications for improving patient care and diagnostic accuracy.

In a paper published in National Science Review, researchers report on the discovery of a novel octupole topological insulating phase, protected by a 3D momentum-space nonsymmorphic group, within the framework of the Brillouin 3D real projective space. The 3D higher-order topological insulator exhibits the coexistence of symmetry-protected and surface-obstructed topological phases. The existence of the octupole insulating phase is confirmed through the corner-state impedance peak in the topological circuit.

Researchers in Shanghai have developed a high-efficiency cryomodule with high quality factors, promising enhanced performance and accessibility for particle accelerator applications in healthcare, industry, and scientific research.

Navigating drones in environments without reliable Global Positioning System (GPS) signals remains a significant challenge for modern aerospace technology.

Developing emitter materials with excellent selective emission performance is the key to improving the energy conversion efficiency of Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic Systems. Rare earth tantalate ceramics have excellent temperature resistance and have the potential to be applied in the field of Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic selective emitters. Although there are many reports on rare earth tantalate ceramics in the field of thermal barrier coatings, they have not yet been studied in the field of selective emitters. It is imperative to fill this research gap, as rare earth tantalates have been neglected in the field of thermoluminescence for decades.

Researchers have uncovered how combined alcohol intoxication and burn injuries disrupt gut bacteria and lower the production of key anti-inflammatory molecules called short-chain fatty acids. The resulting inflammation could worsen patient outcomes, but the study offers hope: restoring beneficial gut metabolites like butyrate may help limit intestinal damage after trauma.

Solid-state batteries have attracted significant attention due to their high safety and high energy density. However, the continuous lithium (Li) consumption will lead to decrease of the energy density and lifespan of the battery. Efforts have been devoted to exploring new strategies to increase the content of the active Li-ions, among which application of sacrificial additives is one of the most effective ways to compensate for the lost lithium. To spur more research into a stable and high-efficiency additive, researchers in China assessed the current advances of research and proposed Li_xC₆O₆ (x=2 and 4) as high-efficiency Li-compensation additives in cathode.

A new study offers a framework to estimate the sample size required for microbiome association studies based on expected effect sizes and analysis methods. By utilizing two large datasets involving around 10,000 individuals, the researchers found that 500 individuals may be sufficient to detect associations targeting larger effect sizes or metabolic diseases closely related to lifestyle, while thousands of samples may be needed for smaller effect sizes or multifactorial complex diseases such as psychiatric and autoimmune conditions. This framework guides future studies in human microbiome research.

A recent study published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences offers a comprehensive examination of factors driving the Arctic amplification, while also comparing quantitative results from multiple studies. The review highlights the complex interactions of various drivers, including local feedbacks, atmospheric circulation, ocean currents, and aerosols. It also underscores significant uncertainties in quantifying their contributions and emphasizes the need for more reliable data and improved models to enhance understanding and predictions of Arctic climate change.