Scientists have unveiled a strategy to amplify the catalytic power of two-dimensional NiPS₃ monolayers for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). By introducing and strategically manipulating atomic vacancies, this innovative approach enhances the material’s ability to split water molecules and absorb protons. The discovery marks a critical leap toward efficient and sustainable hydrogen production, offering a cost-effective alternative to platinum-based catalysts.

Researchers have introduced a revolutionary thermal dome concept, as detailed in a study published in Engineering. This innovation aims to overcome the limitations of traditional thermal invisibility cloaks by featuring an open structure and reconfigurability, potentially transforming heat management and cloaking technologies.

The proliferation of digital media necessitates the development of students’ digital literacy skills. The study examining primary school students in urban and rural settings found moderate proficiency overall, with notable gaps in information creation and dissemination. Urban–rural disparities in accessing and evaluating digital tools and media messages were identified. Parental education, mediation, and device usage positively influenced literacy, with mediation having the most significant impact. Prioritizing the development of higher-order literacy skills and addressing rural disparities is crucial. Government, enterprise, and institutions are promoting rural students’ literacy and parental involvement. Future research should assess the effectiveness of these measures to enhance overall digital literacy development.

Plasma photonic crystal ‘kaleidoscope’ developed at Hebei University and Peking University enables multi-freedom control of geometric configurations in plasma metamaterials with benefits of low cost, rapid response, and enhanced flexibility.

Indoor photovoltaics (IPVs) have attracted increasing attention for sustainably powering Internet of Things (IoT) electronics. Towards this goal, scientists from China and United Kingdom developed an effective additive engineering strategy to enable the deposition of high-quality solution-processed antimony sulfide (Sb₂S₃) absorbers, and achieved efficient planar IPVs with power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 17% under 1000 lux white light emitting diode (WLED) illumination. Large-area IPV minimodules were further successfully constructed to power IoT wireless sensors.

Natural killer (NK) cells are key innate immune lymphocytes, which play important roles against tumors. However, tumor-infiltrating NK cells are always hypofunctional/exhaustive. On the one hand, this state is contributed by context-dependent interactions between inhibitory NK cell checkpoint receptors and their ligands, which usually vary in different tumor types and stages during tumor development. On the other hand, the inhibitory functions of intracellular checkpoint molecules of NK cells are more similar across different tumor types, representing common mechanisms limiting the potential of NK cell therapy. In this review, representative NK cell intracellular checkpoint molecules in different aspects of NK cell biology were reviewed, and therapeutic potentials were discussed by targeting these molecules to promote antitumor NK cell therapy.

This study explores the role of endosomal PI(4,5)P2 catabolism in innate immunity, using C. elegans as a model organism. The research highlights how RAB-10 and its effector UNC-16 regulate DAG levels and the PMK-1/p38 MAPK pathway to enhance resistance to pathogen infection. Mechanistic insights reveal UNC-16's dimerization is necessary for recruiting the phospholipase EGL-8, thus linking PI(4,5)P2 breakdown to immune responses. The nuclear receptor NHR-25 is also shown to mediate RAB-10 activation during infection, offering a framework for understanding pathogen detection in intestinal epithelia.

In a paper published in Mycology, a research team led by Wenxia Fang at the Guangxi Academy of Sciences isolated a strain of Paramyrothecium sp. (P-6) from moss samples collected in the Karst region of Guangxi. The compound Ver-A produced by this strain effectively inhibits the growth of various pathogenic fungi in vitro and prevents the sexual mating of haploid spores of the sugarcane smut pathogen. Pot experiments demonstrated that treatment with crude extracts containing Ver-A significantly reduced the incidence of sugarcane smut disease. Further analysis using real-time quantitative PCR revealed its underlying mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for the sustainable control of sugarcane smut and the development of novel pesticides.