Dendritic mesoporous silica-lanthanide fluoride (DMS-CeF₃:Tb) nanocomposites with a pomegranate-like architecture have been fabricated through a facile in situ enrichment strategy. The strong single-particle luminescence and long photoluminescence lifetime of DMS-CeF₃:Tb nanoprobes enabled an ultrasensitive immunoassay for prostate specific antigen (PSA) with a detection limit of 41 fg mL^-1, which represents a 976-fold improvement over a commercial PSA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Validation with PCa serum samples revealed a strong correlation with the hospital’s electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, confirming the clinical applicability of the nanoprobes. Additionally, targeted imaging and in vitro detection of cervical cancer cells were realized utilizing biotinylated DMS-CeF₃:Tb nanoprobes, enabling rapid cancer screening. These findings reveal the great potential of DMS-CeF₃:Tb as an efficient nano-bioprobe for early cancer diagnosis.

In a new study published in China Welding, researchers have optimized pulse frequency in local dry underwater laser welding (LDU-LW) of Q355B steel. The optimized pulsed laser process significantly improves weld formation, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, offering a reliable solution for underwater repair and manufacturing of marine engineering structures.

A low-Tg chalcogenide-glass adhesive (As-S(Se)-I, Tg = 8.85 ℃, n≈2.1) is presented that bonds at 120 ℃, wets interfaces, fills gaps, and cools into a robust glass bonding layer. It lifts transmission to a maximum of 91%, reduces reflection to 4.8% (from 58.5%), increases the laser-damage threshold by >59%, and enables 11.7 W delivery from endcap fiber, providing a universal, thermoplastic yet stable route to compact, high-power, thermally reliable mid-IR photonic systems.

A large-scale study with data from Brazilian Cerrado streams found that about half of the field sampling effort preserved the ability of most habitat and biological indices to distinguish stream disturbance levels, while greatly reducing time and costs. Macroinvertebrate indices remained robust under reduced sampling, and only fish richness was more sensitive to lower effort. The findings suggest that faster, more cost-effective stream assessments could support biomonitoring programs in tropical regions with limited funding.

Linzhi Yu et al. have developed compact metasurface operators for all-optical image processing, enabled by double-phase encoding and polarization multiplexing. This ultrathin nanophotonic platform performs real-time light field transformations, including edge detection, object recognition, and volumetric holography. The work introduces new possibilities for ultra-compact, energy-efficient analog computing systems, with potential applications in imaging, sensing, and holographic displays.

Researchers developed an automated cold plasma and bubble system for dual modality function of treating food-industry wastewater and transforming into nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer for hydroponic farming. This automated electrified flow system runs on a low energy, reduced wastewater organic load while simultaneously improving plant growth, offering a scalable and promising route toward sustainable agriculture and water reuse.

The global transition to a fossil-free energy system highlights the need for photovoltaic technologies that combine high efficiency with scalability, durability, and flexibility. Monolithic perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ tandem solar cells (TSCs) are an attractive thin-film alternative to perovskite/silicon TSCs, combining low-temperature processing, mechanical flexibility, and radiation tolerance. However, their practical potential remains constrained by coupled optical, electronic, and interfacial losses. This work develops a modelling approach integrating calibrated optical simulations, drift–diffusion device modelling, and a Shockley–Queisser (SQ) formalism, which incorporates empirical non-radiative recombination factors extracted from an external database. Starting from a certified 24.6% Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH TSC, the analysis identifies the dominant bottlenecks, quantifies the impact of defect passivation, optical optimization, and bandgap tuning, and extends the assessment to annual energy yield across representative climates. The results estimate practical efficiency limits above 35% and demonstrate significant energy-yield gains under real outdoor conditions, compared with perovskite and Cu(In, Ga)Se₂ stand-alone devices, for both fixed-tilt and one-axis tracking configurations. At the same time, the database-informed SQ formalism provides a realistic benchmark by linking empirical non-radiative recombination factors to device performance, supporting consistent assessment across tandem architectures. Overall, these findings position perovskite/CIGS tandems as credible high-performance candidates within the landscape of next-generation photovoltaic technologies.