Researchers in China have discovered an innovative way to improve the stability and efficiency of biogas production by using carbon materials made from lignin, a major byproduct of the paper industry. The study, published in Carbon Research, demonstrates that two lignin-derived materials, lignin hydrochar (LHC) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), can effectively reduce ammonia inhibition, a long-standing challenge in anaerobic digestion systems.

The study investigated compounds that can be used as electrolytes in sodium-ion devices. Sodium is an abundant and widely distributed element. The equipment shows great promise for storing surplus energy from solar and wind farms.

The newly assembled chromosome-level genome of Diospyros deyangensis (“Deyangshi”), an autotetraploid wild persimmon species, provides key insights into the evolution and juvenile growth of persimmon. This wild plant, known for flowering within just one to two years, contrasts sharply with cultivated persimmon, which requires five to eight years to mature. The high-quality genome revealed a recent whole-genome duplication event and identified DdELF4 as a major regulator suppressing flowering. Functional validation in Arabidopsis confirmed DdELF4’s role as a flowering repressor. The findings not only deepen our understanding of persimmon evolution but also open new possibilities for developing early-flowering cultivars to accelerate breeding.

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is among the world’s most destructive plant viruses, threatening global tomato yield and quality. Through fine mapping and genetic validation, researchers identified a co-chaperone gene, Sldnaj, carrying a 61-base-pair promoter deletion that causes tomato susceptibility to TSWV. Functional assays revealed that plants with this deletion exhibited enhanced virus accumulation and weakened defense responses, whereas knockout or silencing of Sldnaj significantly improved resistance. The study highlights Sldnaj as a critical susceptibility gene affecting the salicylic acid/jasmonic acid signaling pathways, offering new insight into molecular mechanisms of disease regulation and valuable guidance for developing resistant tomato cultivars.

Abstract

Purpose – Investigation of the anomalies associated with crashes and jackpots in the Chinese stock market.

Design/methodology/approach – We propose a logit model to predict the events of crashes and jackpots in the Chinese stock market. The model introduces a new variable of the price-to-sales ratio and takes into account the market states, Up and Down.

Findings – The anomalies associated with crashes and jackpots are not related to variations in economic conditions, but are associated with limits to arbitrage. High-liquidity stocks have strong mispricing effects. The institutions’ speculative trading will push liquid stock prices further away from their fundamentals but avoid buying illiquid stocks with a higher probability of price crashes and jackpots.

Originality/value – We propose a logit model to predict the extreme events of both crash and jackpot in the Chinese stock market. Our model effectively disentangles from CRASHP and JACKP. Compared with the traditional model, it substantially enhances in-sample and out-sample predictions. Based on the predictions of the extreme events, we find two strong and robust pricing effects associated with ex ante CRASH and JACKP in the Chinese stock market.

As intrinsically carbon-free molecules, ammonia and hydrogen are considered as fuels for internal combustion engines, mainly for long-distance or off-road applications. These alternative fuels have different combustion characteristics, reactivity, and exhaust gas compositions compared to conventional fuels, raising questions about the suitability of lubricants in engines operating with them. The impact of ammonia, hydrogen, and their blends on lubricants in internal combustion engines is a relatively new topic, with few reference studies available. However, degradation processes of lubricants have been studied in the context of hydrocarbon fuels, and in compressors using ammonia as a refrigerant, for example. This work presents a review of the literature on engine oil degradation phenomena in relation to ammonia and hydrogen combustion characteristics. In particular, it highlights the current state of knowledge regarding compatibility with unburnt gases, elevated nitrogen oxide levels, and water. Additionally, it summarizes the latest insights into the contribution of lubricants to pollutant emissions.

Lead-acid batteries are indispensable in various applications, and it is crucial to monitor their status. However, the existing sensing units for lead-acid batteries are limited by their bulky size, slow response time, and lack of temperature sensing and compensation capabilities. In the current work, a compact GaN-based sensing device was proposed to simultaneously measure the electrolyte density and temperature. The device comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodetector (PD) integrated on a GaN-on-sapphire chip in a monolithic configuration. The forward voltage of the LED reflects the electrolyte temperature, while the photocurrent of the PD varies with electrolyte density due to optical reflection changes at the exposed sapphire interface. The measured signals were processed using a decoupling matrix to achieve temperature compensation. The device exhibits a sensitivity of −29.1 μA/(g/cm³) for density in the range of 1.09 g/cm³ to 1.29 g/cm³, and -1.07 mV/°C for temperature in the range of 25 to 45 °C. The performance of the device was also validated through comparisons with commercial meters and real-time monitoring during the charging and discharging of the batteries. The device has notable advantages in size, cost, and fast response/recovery time (134.3/201.4 ms), rendering it a promising tool for monitoring lead-acid batteries.

Citrus fruit flavor depends largely on citric acid, the main organic acid determining its sourness and market appeal. Researchers have now identified CsAIL6, an AP2/ERF transcription factor that directly suppresses citric acid accumulation in citrus fruits. Overexpressing CsAIL6 in citrus or tomato significantly lowered fruit acidity, whereas silencing it led to higher citric acid levels. The study further revealed that CsAIL6 physically interacts with the WD40 protein CsAN11, a component of the MBW regulatory complex responsible for vacuolar acidification. This discovery unveils a new molecular mechanism controlling citrus acidity and provides a promising target for breeding and biotechnological strategies to enhance fruit flavor and quality.

A new study has identified a key enzyme that modulates tea plant immunity by regulating salicylic acid (SA), a critical plant defense hormone. The enzyme, CsUGT74B5, catalyzes the conversion of SA into a glucosylated form, salicylic acid 2-O-β-D-glucoside (SAG). This process reduces free SA levels, diminishing the plant’s resistance to anthracnose—a devastating fungal disease affecting tea crops worldwide. Experimental evidence showed that overexpressing CsUGT74B5 in tea leaves and model plants increased disease susceptibility, while applying SA externally enhanced pathogen defense. The findings reveal a previously unknown glucosylation mechanism that fine-tunes immune balance in tea plants.

Cold stress severely limits grapevine survival and fruit production. In this study, scientists discovered that the transcription factor VaWRKY65 plays a pivotal role in helping Vitis amurensis withstand freezing temperatures. The gene enhances cold tolerance through a dual mechanism: promoting the breakdown of starch into soluble sugars and stimulating the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These combined effects improve cellular stability and energy balance under stress. The research also identified VaBAM3 and VaPOD36 as key downstream genes activated by VaWRKY65. This work uncovers how sugar metabolism and ROS scavenging are transcriptionally coordinated to strengthen cold resilience in grapevine.