News from Science China Press

Researchers from Beihang University, Truth Memory Corporation, Aix-Marseille University and Université Paris-Saclay has successfully transitioned the emerging physics concept of "orbitronics" from theoretical study to practical application in next-generation magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). By designing a highly efficient ruthenium-tungsten write electrode, the researchers demonstrated ultrafast writing of MRAM devices with a pulse of 28.7 ps, and solved critical industrial bottlenecks in MRAM yield and area penalty, paving the way for ultra-low-power memories.

Landau quantization is a cornerstone of quantum Hall effects. However, controlling Landau-level spacing and the spatial profiles of Landau modes through complex-valued gauge fields has remained largely unexplored. Now, a collaborative team from Beijing Institute of Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Exeter, and The University of Hong Kong, writing in Science Bulletin, demonstrates a mechanism for tuning Landau quantization. By constructing a real pseudo-magnetic field and an imaginary pseudo-electric field, the researchers enlarge the Landau-level spacing and enhance mode localization. These findings establish a versatile framework for tailoring non-Hermitian Landau levels and may advance applications in mode-selective filtering, field concentration, and wave-based sensing.

A recent study by Lanzhou University's Center for Pan-Third Pole Environment has revealed a climate-sensitive, multi-sphere bacterial metacommunity on the Tibetan Plateau, reshaping our understanding of microbial connectivity across alpine ecosystems. Analyzing 3,373 samples from five habitats, the team identified precipitation as a key driver with dual effects—homogenizing most ecosystems while enhancing microbial uniqueness in glaciers. The breakthrough calls for integrating microbial monitoring into plateau ecological security assessments.

A synthesis of ground surveys across Southwest China finds that soil thickness explains nearly 70% of the spatial variation in woody vegetation growth potential, far more than climate or soil nutrient concentrations. Below a 57.5-centimeter threshold, limited soil volume becomes the dominant constraint, where vegetation becomes less related to soil nutrient concentrations and more closely associated with climate variability.

Electroencephalography (EEG) foundation models are emerging as a promising approach for brain-computer interfaces, but their generalization ability remains unclear. Researchers developed EEG-FM-Compass, a benchmark reviewing 55 EEG foundation models and evaluating 12 open-source models across 13 datasets and nine brain-computer interface paradigms. The study shows that current models have transfer potential but require task-specific adaptation, while specialized models remain competitive and larger models do not necessarily generalize better.

Researchers have developed a catalyst that coordinates structure and chemistry from the atomic scale to the millimeter scale. The 3D-printed tough metallic-glass scaffold promotes fluid flow and bubble removal, while a NiMo nanoglass coating supplies active amorphous interfaces. The Gyroid-based NiMo@G catalyst required 1.438 V to reach 100 mA cm⁻² in alkaline water electrolysis and remained stable for more than 200 hours.

Blood tests measuring plasma p-tau217 offer a promising, non-invasive alternative for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. In a multicenter head-to-head evaluation, researchers compared nine commercial p-tau217 assays. While seven assays demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for detecting amyloid pathology, two showed substantially lower performance. The findings emphasize that these tests are not interchangeable and require tailored calibration for clinical use.

A study of non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PanNETs) identified an AGR2^high endocrine subcluster enriched in high-grade tumors and showed that simple AGR2 immunohistochemistry serves as a clinically informative prognostic marker. Mechanistically, the transcription factor FOXM1 directly drives the proliferative transcriptional program of AGR2^high cells, while chemical inhibition of FOXM1 showed therapeutic benefit in tumor cells, patient-derived organoids, and xenograft models. Together, the findings provide a new approach for prognostic stratification and identify FOXM1 as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in NF-PanNETs.