Stabilized construction-generated soil is often too alkaline for reuse, while neutralization depends on curing conditions. Although aeration curing is the cheapest way to lower alkalinity, there has been no guidance on when to begin it. Now, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology reveal that immediate aeration is preferable when neutralization is the priority, whereas a sealed period is useful when added strength is needed, providing a practical scheduling framework for soil-recycling operations.

The existing magnetic-responsive SERS substrates have difficulty in regulating the spatial coupling between the carrier of the analyte and the plasmonic hotspots, which limits the enhancement effect. This study uses NdFeB/PS/Ag as the plasmonic substrate and the core-shell magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Ag) (FSA) as the molecular capture carrier. By adjusting the magnetization state and magnetic field gradient of the NdFeB sheet, the spatial distribution of FSA particles can be controllably regulated.

A digitally fabricated guide, developed by researchers at Science Tokyo, captures and reproduces the spatial relationship between a musician’s lips and an air-reed instrument, such as a shakuhachi flute. By combining facial and intraoral scans using CAD and 3D printing, the team created a lightweight positioning guide based on an experienced player’s embouchure. The application demonstrates how digital prosthodontic workflows could provide physical spatial references for musical training and other extraoral applications. 

Transition-metal sulfides can accelerate sulfur reactions in all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries, but their own stability during cycling has received less attention. Researchers uncovered two major catalyst failure pathways and used these insights to develop a compositionally disordered catalyst. The new design suppresses phase separation and transition metal migration while maintaining carrier transport, enabling efficient sulfur conversion under demanding battery conditions.

Where world-class science meets independent journalism: Apply to ISTA’s 2027 Journalist in Residence Program

Application deadline: November 1, 2026

Start: Spring 2027

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is now accepting applications for its 2027 Journalist in Residence program. 

ISTA invites experienced science and technology journalists to spend three to six months on its international campus near Vienna. Meet leading scientists, experience curiosity-driven basic research up close, and discover new ideas across disciplines.

Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles that usually measure mere millionths of a millimeter. They are extremely hard, stable, and heat-resistant and highly adaptable for various purposes in medicine, new materials, catalysis, and energy technology. By compressing plastic with lasers, researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Rostock are now able to systematically produce high-purity, ultra-small diamonds of narrow size distribution. This is impossible to achieve with conventional methods such as explosions. As a scalable technology, laser compression offers great potential for improved, clean and sustainable production of ultra-small nanodiamonds.