News from Science China Press

Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) disproportionately affects the elderly and is expected to be the most frequent cranial surgical indication by 2030. Yet, no globally accepted evidence-based practice guidelines currently exist, and significant controversy continues over key treatment approaches, including middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE), perioperative supportive pharmacotherapy, and the handling of anticoagulant therapy.

Litchi fruit harbors beneficial surface microbes that change predictably during storage. A 9‑day study of litchi peel microbiota identified multiple key bacterial genera linked to storage progression. A random forest model based on these biomarkers accurately predicted fruit freshness. Among the isolates, Gluconobacter sp. Lc45 strongly inhibited two major postharvest pathogens (Peronophythora litchii and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), offering the potential of native microbiota for freshness monitoring and eco‑friendly disease control.

Scientists have discovered a novel infection-associated organelle, termed the “virulensome,” in the nematode-trapping fungus Dactylellina haptotyla. Previously observed only as mysterious electron-dense structures, virulensomes are now shown to form specifically in response to nematode stimulation. They function as cellular hubs enriched with diverse virulence factors. These organelles rapidly deploy pathogenic molecules into the host, revealing a previously unknown strategy underlying fungal infection. The findings were published in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences.

Researchers have developed a solid-state electrolyte design strategy that enables rapid lithium-ion transport while using substantially less lithium. By forming connected interfacial networks inside oxychloride electrolytes, the strategy combines high ionic conductivity with tunable properties, including high-voltage stability. The concept was validated in long-life, high-rate all-solid-state batteries and may provide a new route for designing a family of lean-lithium solid electrolytes.

A recent study published in National Science Review developed an open-access interactive map of ARGs in Chinese soils. It revealed that the relative abundance of total ARGs and Rank I ARGs in croplands declined by 52.6% and 77.0%, respectively, after 2016, coinciding with the implementation of China’s National Action Plan to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (2016–2020). The study further highlights chemical pollutants and agricultural activities as important factors for future environmental AMR management.

Professor Zheng Yanzhen's team at Xi'an Jiaotong University has discovered a single-molecule magnetic ring whose shape responds to changes in the magnetic field. In this system, the large spin ground state generated by ferromagnetic coupling can rapidly respond to the magnetic field, thereby inducing macroscopic crystal striction, a phenomenon that characterizes a 'single-molecule magnetostrictor'.

Reported in Science Bulletin, a new study presents the design and fabrication of an ultra-robust and multifunctional ionic biogel with multiscale architecture via a synergistic structural engineering strategy, and demonstrates its application in self-powered human interaction.