For centuries, foresters have watched prized timber trees grow for decades before they finally flower—a delay that frustrates breeding and conservation alike. 

Immunotherapy for gynecological tumors is in a period of rapid development, bringing new hope to patients but also facing some new problems. How to achieve better clinical translation and improve treatment strategies based on current experimental research requires our joint efforts.

A recent study published in the National Science Review reveals that the tradition of wrapping grains in leaves may date back as far as 2,200 years ago. Leaf-wrapped plant bundles unearthed at the Wuwangdun Site—believed to have served as funerary offerings—are now considered an early precursor to zongzi, the iconic traditional Chinese food enjoyed during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Researchers from Zhejiang University and other institutions conducted a systematic study on intrinsic defects in half-Heusler compounds—a big family of functional materials. They have discovered a new type of planar defect, named “filling fault,” along with the associated vacancy swap occupation. Their work clarifies the long-standing contradiction regarding defect types and atomic occupation in half-Heusler compounds. They elucidate the formation rules of filling faults across different compositions and reveal the mechanisms by which this novel planar defect influences carrier transport and piezoelectric response. These findings offer new perspectives for the design of functional materials.

Researchers have developed a wide-field Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging system that captures electrochemical reactions on hundreds of individual nanoparticles simultaneously. By integrating a common-path interferometer with a fast 2D camera, the method provides real-time spectral evolution during electrodeposition of palladium and cadmium sulfide on gold nanoparticles. Statistical analysis reveals distinct deposition behaviors on nanospheres versus nanorods—insights that would require thousands of tedious single-particle measurements using conventional approaches.

Flexible terahertz devices are essential for wearable photonics and intelligent communication systems, yet mechanical deformation can cause information loss and signal interruption. Here, Te nanofilms grown on PET substrates are introduced as flexible all-optical terahertz modulators with high modulation efficiency, picosecond response, low insertion loss, and robust bending tolerance. The device further enables stable neural-network-based image recognition under different bending conditions, providing a route toward flexible intelligent terahertz optoelectronics.

Researchers have developed a compact, built-in neutron analyzer for on-site measurement of uranium loading and element changes in wet ion-exchange resins. The 80 kg system combines prompt fission-neutron counting with prompt-gamma spectroscopy. Laboratory tests yielded a 0.129 g/L uranium detection limit in 60 s, while a field campaign at a commercial in-situ recovery mine followed adsorption, elution, transformation and a second adsorption cycle.

A review by researchers from Shandong University and collaborating institutions argues that making virtual objects look real is no longer enough; the next advance in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will require making them feel real as well. Published in Materials Futures, the article proposes a closed-loop "human-machine-environment" haptic interaction framework that links tactile sensing, intelligent processing, and physical feedback into a single system for more realistic digital interaction.A review by researchers from Shandong University and collaborating institutions argues that making virtual objects look real is no longer enough; the next advance in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will require making them feel real as well. Published in Materials Futures, the article proposes a closed-loop "human-machine-environment" haptic interaction framework that links tactile sensing, intelligent processing, and physical feedback into a single system for more realistic digital interaction.