A new study published in Mycology highlights the alarming evolutionary rate of Sporothrix, the fungus that causes sporotrichosis, a severe and rapidly spreading infection affecting humans and cats in South America. Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analysed the 3-carboxymuconate cyclase gene (encoding the Gp60-70 antigen), a key component of the fungus's cell wall, in Sporothrix and discovered unprecedented genetic diversity. They propose a link between this rapid adaptation and exposure to harmful aromatic pollutants, potentially explaining the increased virulence, particularly of S. brasiliensis. This research is crucial because cat-transmitted sporotrichosis is far more aggressive than typical fungal infections, representing a major public health crisis in Brazil. These findings provide vital insights for developing targeted diagnostics, vaccines, and antifungal treatments to combat the world's largest sporotrichosis epidemic.

A breakthrough in biomedical research is reshaping the way scientists study human biology. Assembloids—advanced 3D tissue models that integrate multiple organoids or specialized cell types—are unlocking new dimensions in developmental biology, disease modeling, and drug discovery by more closely mimicking the complex cellular interactions within human tissues. A recent review categorizes assembloids into four key assembly strategies—multi-region, multi-lineage, multi-gradient, and multi-layer—each designed to better simulate complex biological processes with unprecedented accuracy. By bridging the gap between simplified organoids and the intricate architecture of human tissues, assembloids are poised to transform our understanding of health and disease.

The effect of high magnetic field on the directional solidification structure of Al-18 at.%Ni peritectic alloy was studied. In the absence of magnetic field, the alloy forms a dendritic structure with preferred orientation, and a transverse plate-like structure with block eutectic is formed under a 6 T magnetic field. At 0 T and 5 μm/s, the Al₃Ni phase was preferentially oriented along the <010> direction, while the sample prepared at 100 μm/s exhibited no preferred orientation. Under 6 T magnetic field, 5 μm/s pulling makes the solidification mode change from peritectic reaction to hypereutectic reaction, and the Al₃Ni phase presents orientation. When the pumping speed increases to 20-100 μm/s, the peritectic reaction is still dominant. The primary Al₃Ni₂ phase is oriented along the direction, and the peritectic phase is attached to it to form a preferred orientation. The magnetic field regulates crystal orientation and solute transport through the coupling of magnetic torque, thermo-electro-magnetic force and magnetic field force, and its influence mechanism shows a significant dependence on pulling speed.

Traffic congestion and its inherent stochasticity continue to challenge urban mobility worldwide. To address this, researchers have introduced a groundbreaking framework for modeling the Stochastic Fundamental Diagram (SFD) from microscopic interactions. It not only deepens our understanding of stochasticity in traffic flow, but also paves the way for advanced longitudinal control strategies in connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to minimize the stochasticity and enhance the overall traffic.

High Curie temperature and high piezoelectric constant are challenges that most piezoelectric ceramics difficult to be achieved simultaneously. Bismuth-layered CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (CBT) piezoelectric ceramics exhibit a high Curie temperature (790°C), but the piezoelectric constant is only 8 pC/N. This work uses WCo/Mn ions co-doping to modify CBT piezoelectric ceramics: by designing B-site composite ions to induce [TiO₆] structural distortion, reduce the domain size, and enhance the domain switching under low electric fields. The CBTWC-0.1Mn ceramic achieves a high piezoelectric coefficient of 27.3 pC/N, and the piezoelectric constant remains largely unchanged after high-temperature annealing, demonstrating significant advantages in the field of high-temperature piezoelectric applications.

A research team led by Professor Qiang Zhang from Tsinghua University has published a comprehensive analysis of energy storage technologies critical to China’s power system decarbonization. The study, featured in Technology Review for Carbon Neutrality, examines the multifunctional roles of storage systems across grid segments, evaluates core technologies from ultrashort-duration flywheels to seasonal hydrogen storage, and projects their deployment under cost and regional constraints. The work highlights policy mechanisms to support China’s transition to a carbon-neutral energy economy by 2060.

The flourishing development of the ‘low-altitude economy’ has not only enriched the aircraft industry but also expanded the application prospects of aircraft. However, this growth has also raised higher demands for the safety and intelligence levels of these aircraft. In emergency situations involving mechanical failures, adverse weather conditions, or strong interference, it is crucial for aircraft to autonomously select a suitable landing region and land safely. This can maximize the safety of both the aircraft and its occupants while minimizing economic losses. However, there is a lack of effective technical solutions for autonomous landing guidance under emergency conditions. This research focuses on this application and proposes a new monocular vision-based measurement method for autonomous aircraft landing guidance in unknown structured environments. The method enables the aircraft to autonomously select a suitable landing region and accurately measure the relative 6D pose (3D rotation and 3D translation) between the aircraft and the landing region, providing a reliable foundation for autonomous landing guidance.

Methanolysis of polyethylene terephthalate to dimethyl terephthalate is a sustainable route for recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Herein, we demonstrate that mesoporous Beta zeolite supported zinc oxide (Zn-Beta-meso) is efficient for methanolysis of polyethylene terephthalate to dimethyl terephthalate, exhibiting ~99.9% dimethyl terephthalate yield at 180 °C after reaction for 30 min. Model reactions confirmed that the key step in PET methanolysis was the methanolysis of 2-hydroxyethyl methyl terephthalate to form dimethyl terephthalate, where the highly dispersed zinc species are the active sites for this step. In addition, the Zn-Beta-meso catalyst was active for the methanolysis of various PET substrates. When bottle with pigment, terylene, transparent adhesive tape, and soundproof cotton were applied as the substrates, full PET conversion and higher than 99.0% dimethyl terephthalate yield were obtained.

The research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a MOF-derived hierarchical porous TiO₂@NPC@S composite as a high-performance cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). This material addresses the issues of LSBs such as poor conductivity, volume expansion, and the "shuttle effect", showing high sulfur loading, excellent cycling performance, and rate capabilities, which offers a new approach for the design of LSB cathodes.

In a paper published in Mycology, the team of Cheng-Lin Hou from the College of Life Science of Capital Normal University has made important progress in the study of species diversity and taxonomy of Rhytismatales. In this study, three new genera, eighteen new species, and three new combinations are proposed, increasing the knowledge of the fungal diversity of Rhytismataceae on species on Rhododendron, and demonstrating the use of an integrative taxonomic approach that combines morphological characteristics, multi-locus phylogenetic analysis, and ecological habits, which is of great significance for the classification and identification of Rhytismatales taxa.