This systematic review (32 studies, 74 patients), published in Eye & ENT Research, synthesizes available evidence on fungal necrotizing otitis externa (NOE)—a rare but severe infection accounting for 5%–20% of malignant otitis externa cases, with clinical features indistinguishable from bacterial NOE. Currently no diagnostic or treatment guidelines exist. Below are the key findings addressing three clinical decision points. All findings are descriptive summaries; no causal inferences are drawn.

Ophthalmology AI is undergoing a paradigm shift from single-task specialized models toward multimodal general-purpose foundation models. A review recently published in Eye & ENT Research systematically evaluated five representative ophthalmic foundation models—RETFound, VisionFM, EyeCLIP, EyeFM, and MIRAGE—and synthesized their architectural designs, validation status, and remaining limitations.

A research team led by Johnson Shayo at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Tanzania published research in Eye & ENT Research examining sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) among hypertensive adults. The cross-sectional study of 201 hypertensive patients aged 18–60 years found a 23.9% prevalence of SNHL, predominantly bilateral (81.3%) and mild (70.8%) in severity. Six independent risk factors were identified: smoking (OR = 21.2), hypertension duration ≥ 5 years (OR = 16.0), female sex (OR = 9.4), age >50 years (OR = 6.4), alcohol consumption (OR = 5.5), and ototoxic drug use (OR = 4.5). These findings from East Africa highlight an often-overlooked aspect of hypertension management—hearing health.

A research team has found that combining no-tillage, retained crop straw, and a high application rate of microbial organic fertilizer substantially increased soil organic carbon (SOC) in compact, carbon-poor albic soil. 

Professor Jun Ma's research group at the University of Science and Technology of China reported a novel green ammonia synthesis strategy based on high-energy electron beam dissociation collisions. This work utilizes a MeV-level electron beam to directly act on an N₂/H₂ gas-phase system, achieving ammonia generation at room temperature, atmospheric pressure, and without an external heating source. The study shows that the high-energy electron beam can activate stable N≡N triple bonds through ionization, excitation, and secondary electron induction processes, driving the conversion of nitrogen and hydrogen into NH₃. In the catalyst-free system, an ammonia generation rate of 0.14 μmol·L⁻¹·s⁻¹ can be obtained by optimizing the electron beam parameters; further, the introduction of Ru nanocatalysts increases the ammonia yield by up to 2.8 times compared to the catalyst-free system. This work provides a new research approach for achieving small molecule activation and green ammonia synthesis using high-energy electron beams. The article was published as an open access Research Article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

As demand for optical communication capacity continues to grow, the 2 µm wavelength region is emerging as a promising new window for future photonic systems. Researchers have developed a high-speed InGaAs/GaAsSb type-II superlattice photodetector that is heterogeneously integrated on silicon via micro-transfer printing. By combining a backside Au reflector with a low-index BCB cavity, the device achieves broadband operation from 0.8 to 2.5 µm and a 57.9% responsivity enhancement at 2 µm, while maintaining 17–18.7 GHz bandwidth and clear 50 Gbps eye diagrams. The work provides a practical route toward broadband, high-speed photodetectors for silicon photonics and next-generation optical interconnects.