Microwave dielectric ceramics, as the core component of fabrication of passive electronic devices, are widely used in numerous fields such as filters, dielectric antennas, and microwave communications . For high-frequency communication, microwave dielectric ceramics with low relative permittivity (ε_r) are preferable due to their ability to decrease signal latency and facilitate the manufacturing of passive components. Additionally, microwave dielectric ceramics that are ideal for making passive components should have a temperature coefficient of resonance (τ_f) as near to zero as feasible and a high quality factor (high Q×f, that is, low dielectric loss tanδ = 1/Q). Vanadium-based zircon ceramics hold potential application prospects in the next generation of wireless communications due to their low dielectric constant and adjustable temperature coefficient of resonant frequency at microwave frequencies. However, achieving ultra-low dielectric loss still poses a significant challenge.

A research team conducted a study to improve robots' performance in multiple peg-in-hole assembly in adapting to different working scenarios, including different object geometry and pose. Using a flexible and reusable sequential control policy framework, they explored how to apply artificial intelligence technology more efficiently in industrial scenarios. Their sequential control policy framework demonstrated higher training efficiency with faster convergence and a higher success rate compared to the single control policy for long-term multiple peg-in-hole assembly tasks.

The host antimicrobial immune response relies on a complex interplay of molecular mechanisms to effectively combat microbial infections. Herein, we investigate the functional role of Cullin-3 (Cul3), one critical constituent of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases, in the Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) antimicrobial immune defense. We show that silencing of Cul3 leads to a decreased induction of antimicrobial peptides and high mortality in adult flies after bacterial infection. Through biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that Cul3 predominantly relies on its BTB-binding domain and neddylation domain to physically associate with death-associated inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (Diap2). Importantly, Cul3 ameliorates the Diap2-mediated ubiquitination of death-related ced-3/Nedd2-like caspase (Dredd), a process essential for robust immune deficiency signaling upon bacterial infection. Taken together, our findings highlight a previously unrecognized regulatory axis of Cul3/Diap2/Dredd in the fly antimicrobial immune defense, providing potential insights into therapeutic strategies for combating bacterial infections in humans.

The notion of employing detonation to enhance aerospace propulsion systems has been explored for several decades. In a recent breakthrough, a novel detonation engine known as the Ram-Rotor Detonation Engine has emerged. This innovative engine integrates the processes of propellant compression, detonation combustion, and expansion within a single rotor, enabling it to markedly enhance propulsion efficiency across a broad range of flight Mach numbers.

Two new quaternary Cr_xTi_0.75Mo_0.75V_1.5−xAlC₂ (x = 1.25, 1) MAXs and Cr_0.75Ti_0.75Mo_0.75V_0.75AlC₂ are synthesized by hot pressing. Interestingly, an unprecedented transition in M-site atomic occupancy from out-of-plane order to solid solution is observed along with the composition variation, which also increases the configurational entropy from medium- to high-entropy. Through experimental observation and theoretical calculation, the influence of the atomic distribution on their properties is analyzed. Eventually, about 40% increment on the Vickers hardness than that of the Cr₂TiAlC₂ and low thermal conductivities are detected from the three MAXs, which can be ascribed to the solid solution strengthening effects and the enhanced scattering of both electrons and phonons from the high-entropy structure.

In a paper published in Mycology, a research team led by Wenxia Fang at the Guangxi Academy of Sciences isolated a strain of Paramyrothecium sp. (P-6) from moss samples collected in the Karst region of Guangxi. The compound Ver-A produced by this strain effectively inhibits the growth of various pathogenic fungi in vitro and prevents the sexual mating of haploid spores of the sugarcane smut pathogen. Pot experiments demonstrated that treatment with crude extracts containing Ver-A significantly reduced the incidence of sugarcane smut disease. Further analysis using real-time quantitative PCR revealed its underlying mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for the sustainable control of sugarcane smut and the development of novel pesticides.