Given the multitude of conditions that must be optimized in synthesis routes, chemical synthesis remains a complex and multidimensional challenge. The rapid development of computational guidelines and machine learning (ML) techniques has brought exciting hope to this dilemma. A new study published in the journal National Science Review highlights the advancement of computationally guided and ML-assisted approaches in inorganic material synthesis.

Against the backdrop of accelerating global climate change and urbanization processes, urban transportation systems are confronting increasingly complex multi-hazard risks. Spatiotemporal big data, characterized by its high precision and information density, has demonstrated growing significance in transportation system resilience studies. Nevertheless, the current comprehension of the evolutionary trajectory of spatiotemporal big data applications in this domain remains fragmented. In this context, our study conducts a systematic review of global research, elucidating the practical implementations of spatiotemporal big data in transportation system resilience studies. The investigation reveals that multi-source big data with high spatiotemporal resolution has not only catalyzed methodological innovations in resilience assessment but has also potential to facilitate a paradigm shift in the field - transitioning from macro-scale to micro-scale analyses, from static evaluations to dynamic monitoring approaches, and from post-disaster emphasis to comprehensive lifecycle investigations. Journal of Geo-Information Science has published the study's results.

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) achieved the first direct laboratory observation of ion acceleration through reflection off laser-generated magnetized collisionless shocks. This observation demonstrates how ions gain energy by bouncing off supercritical shocks, central to the Fermi acceleration mechanism. The research was published in Science Advances.

A research team led by Prof. Mitch LI Guijun, Assistant Professor from the Division of Integrative Systems and Design at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has developed an innovative single-step laser printing technique to accelerate the manufacturing of lithium-sulfur batteries. Integrating the commonly time-consuming active materials synthesis and cathode preparation in a nanosecond-scale laser-induced conversion process, this technique is set to revolutionize the future industrial production of printable electrochemical energy storage devices. The findings of this study were recently published in the top journal Nature Communications.

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.

Over the past two decades, satellite-based planetary observations have recorded rapid mass loss of Patagonian glaciers, contributing approximately 0.07 mm per year to global sea-level rise. A study published in Nature Communications links this mass loss to a poleward shift of subtropical high-pressure systems. This large-scale atmospheric circulation change brings more warm air to Patagonia, thereby accelerating glacier melt.