News from Science China Press

The tumor-confined nano-activator (iCLAN_TSP-SAg) can drive localized expression of bacterial superantigens within tumors, enabling potent, antigen-independent T-cell activation while avoiding systemic toxicity.

Scientists have developed a simple yet powerful strategy to overcome a long-standing challenge in cancer phototheranostics—the trade-off between imaging brightness, therapeutic efficacy, and biological stability. By systematically replacing hydrogen atoms with deuterium (a heavier isotope) in a near-infrared fluorescent molecule, researchers achieved simultaneous improvements in all three critical properties. The optimized nanoparticles delivered 26% higher fluorescence brightness, 14% more reactive oxygen species for killing cancer cells, and 20% better stability in blood. In mouse models, a single treatment completely eliminated breast tumors, and fluorescence-guided surgery enabled precise removal of colorectal cancer remnants that were invisible under white light—extending survival from under 20 days to over 60 days. The strategy is broadly applicable and does not require redesigning the molecular backbone, offering a versatile platform for next-generation cancer theranostics.

Traditional air quality models struggle with changing emissions, while pure AI systems operate as opaque "black boxes" that can break the laws of physics. To solve this, researchers developed ProNet, a framework that embeds AI directly into atmospheric equations. Tested across 338 cities, ProNet outperformed experienced human forecasters and accurately predicted extreme events—like severe dust storms—without producing "AI hallucinations." Crucially, it also acts as a scientific diagnostic tool, using routine hourly data to uncover and correct hidden flaws in existing chemical models.

Using satellite observations, researchers tracked water storage recovery after 468 severe droughts in large river basins worldwide. Most events were followed by recovery, but persistent deficits clustered in drylands and some inland basins. Recovery trajectories varied across basins and events, reflecting water availability after drought. Recurrent droughts and intensive human water use were associated with prolonged deficits.

Carbonate cerium and neodymium isotope records from South China show that low-oxygen waters invaded shallow habitats twice during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction, with a brief recovery between the two pulses. Earth-system models suggest that rapid climate swings reorganized continental weathering and nutrient delivery, amplifying marine oxygen loss and ecological stress.

Opto-electronic integration organically combines the high-speed modulation and transmission of light with the precise control of electricity, serving as a core enabler for the practical deployment of photonic quantum devices. A recent review article published in *National Science Review* by a joint research team from the University of Science and Technology of China, Peking University, National University of Defense Technology, and Nanjing University systematically summarizes this field. The research team reviews the progress of on-chip opto-electronic integrated technologies, introduces their applications in quantum light sources, quantum frequency conversion, quantum communication, and quantum computing, analyzes existing challenges, and prospects future development pathways. This work helps further optimize on-chip photonic quantum hardware schemes and provides references for the subsequent engineering development of scalable photonic quantum systems.