A tabletop laser system produced tunable extreme-ultraviolet and soft-X-ray harmonics for potential use in resonant imaging and spectroscopy. The work could make some experiments less dependent on large free-electron-laser facilities, although the abstract does not report a direct imaging or spectroscopy demonstration.
A forensic operation after the 2015 Mediterranean migrant shipwreck recovered 528 bodies and about 30,000 commingled remains. Ten years later, 33 victims had been identified and another 40 were being confirmed, showing how detailed records and international cooperation can support identification after a mass disaster.
A change in the CDC42 gene was linked to a previously unrecognized inflammatory condition. Experiments showed that the change activates pyrin, while testing found that an interleukin-1 blocker was therapeutically effective for this condition.
Chemical and isotopic evidence from a silicate inclusion in the Aletai iron meteorite links IIIE iron meteorites with HED meteorites. The findings provide physical evidence that the metal core and rocky mantle of an early asteroid shared a common origin.
An open Zenodo working note tracks water use linked to 10 AI data-centre sites and provides code to reproduce its calculations. It finds that closed-loop cooling shifts roughly 92% to 95% of the modelled water footprint to the electricity grid, rather than removing it.
Researchers demonstrated a programmable photomask that changed pixel patterns during exposures in a standard semiconductor photolithography stepper. The device produced photoresist features as small as about 1.7 micrometres, providing a basis for masks that could be reprogrammed without replacing the whole reticle.
Measurements in Missoula, Montana, found that aged wildfire smoke contained substantially more fine particles, carbon monoxide and chemical pollutants than a widely used atmospheric model predicted. The researchers estimated that an annually recurring 2020-style fire season would raise excess lifetime cancer risk to about 100 in 1 million, while the model understated that risk by about 40 percent.
A 36.7-milligram ion-powered microrobot achieved controlled flight, hovering and sensing without mechanical moving parts. The experimental robot carried two sensors and completed predefined tasks while tethered hovering lasted up to one hour.
In a small human implementation study in Bangladesh, researchers assessed whether primary health care facilities and health workers were ready to provide anaemia testing and intravenous iron for pregnant women. Health workers reported high psychological readiness, while facilities had unresolved resource shortages; the study did not determine whether the services improved health outcomes.
Two native Amazonian stingless bee species carried microplastics in both urban and rural areas, with most particles attached to their outer bodies. The finding suggests these bees could help monitor pollution, while also raising questions about whether they transport plastic particles into natural areas.
An AI model predicted suicidal thoughts and behaviors more accurately than traditional statistical methods among a group of 3,901 Taiwanese university students. The researchers say its interpretable design could support screening, but the study does not show whether using the model improves care or prevents suicide-related outcomes.
Europe’s forests lost an estimated 6.5 ± 0.8 petagrams of aboveground biomass between 1985 and 2023, with annual losses accelerating after 2018. Harvests caused most of the total loss, while rising natural disturbances in biomass-rich temperate forests helped drive the recent increase.
In a randomized study of 388 university students in China, an AI counseling agent improved perceived rapport and willingness to disclose. It recognized general risks better, but was less reliable with crisis-level disclosures, pointing to a supporting role alongside trained counselors.
Researchers present a modular algorithm for preparing general mixed quantum states on quantum computers. Tests covered two-qubit examples and random states involving one, two and three qubits, but the abstract does not report performance measures or scaling limits.
Iron-rich regions at the boundary between Earth’s core and mantle may store heavy iron isotopes and carry them upward in rising mantle plumes. The proposed deep source could help explain why ocean-island basalts have heavier and more variable iron isotope compositions than mid-ocean ridge basalts.
