Silicon carbide (SiC) fiber aerogels have shown promising prospects in fields such as thermal protection, electromagnetic wave absorption, and environmental remediation. However, existing research largely relies on single-scale fiber assembly, resulting in a uniform pore structure that hinders multiscale synergy and limits performance enhancement. Furthermore, current studies primarily focus on flexible applications, while the development of rigid, high-strength aerogels for high-temperature load-bearing scenarios remains insufficient. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop SiC aerogels that integrate a multiscale pore structure with high mechanical strength.

CHIKVdb is a comprehensive genomic database developed to address limitations in existing resources for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) surveillance and outbreak response. It integrates 8,193 nucleotide and 10,637 protein sequences from 99 countries over 40 years, accompanied by standardized metadata. The platform features an interactive web interface with tools for phylogenetic analysis, source tracing, SNP identification, and genotype identification, streamlining workflows for public health and research applications. Global analyses reveal spatiotemporal heterogeneity in CHIKV transmission, highlighting the predominance of ECSA and ECSA-IOL genotypes and the central role of human and mosquito hosts. CHIKVdb enhances genomic surveillance by providing curated data and analytical capabilities, supporting efforts in pandemic preparedness and targeted control strategies. The database is freely accessible at https://nmdc.cn/gcpathogen/chikv.

As affordable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) face problems such as safety issues, limited lifespan, and electrolyte incompatibility with high-capacity electrodes. A non-flammable electrolyte using fluorinated triethyl phosphate (FTEP) as a weakly solvating solvent to create an anion-rich solvation sheath around potassium ions was developed. This innovation facilitates stable potassium plating, efficient K⁺ insertion into graphite, and prevents aluminum corrosion, paving the way for safer and more durable PIBs.

A computational framework integrates electrochemical lithium-ion intercalation dynamics with mechanical stress evolution in battery materials, addressing a critical gap in solid-state battery design. The specific aspect of coating material for silicon particles in anode layer is investigated, and the key parameters, including coating thickness and strength are systematically analyzed. 

Rechargeable aqueous batteries (RABs) have attracted considerable attention for large-scale energy storage applications due to their inherent safety. Manganese dioxide (MnO₂), based on two-electron-transfer deposition/dissolution chemistry, offers an ultrahigh theoretical capacity and high redox potential, paving the way for high-energy RABs.

A 20-hectare plot at the Paint Rock ForestGEO site in north Alabama (29,282 trees mapped) reveals how landscape features shape tree species distribution and biomass. While overall biomass did not correlate with landform or topographic indices, the biomass of individual species did. The dominant species appeared to partition the site with American beech and yellow-poplar dominating the valleys, and white oak, southern shagbark hickory, and white ash predominantly on slopes and benches Average biomass was 211 Mg/ha., The species distribution demonstrates how topographic niche partitioning maximizes ecosystem carbon storage, as published in Forest Ecosystems.

Unmanned Swarm Systems (USS) have transformed key fields like disaster rescue, transportation, and military operations via distributed coordination, yet trajectory prediction accuracy and interaction mechanism interpretability remain major bottlenecks—issues that existing methods fail to address by either ignoring physical constraints or lacking explainability. A recent breakthrough from Northwestern Polytechnical University solves this: Dr. Shuheng Yang and Prof. Dong Zhang developed the Swarm Relational Inference (SRI) model, an unsupervised end-to-end framework integrating swarm dynamics with dynamic graph neural networks. This model not only enhances interpretability and physical consistency but also drastically reduces long-term prediction errors, marking a critical step toward reliable autonomous collaboration for real-world USS applications.

Molten calcium–magnesium–alumina–silicate (CMAS) is easy to wet and penetrate into thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), causing the coating corrosion and premature failure. Applying a protective layer on the TBC surface is considered a useful method to alleviate CMAS attack. In this study, a bilayer-structured apatite layer was constructed by pre-reacting GdPO₄ with CMAS powders. It consists of an acicular upper layer and a compact lower layer, which remained microstructure integrity after heat treatment at 1250 °C for 50 h, and did not crack after 100 thermal cycles. At 1250 °C for 30 min, the CMAS contact angle on the bilayer-structured apatite layer was 17.4 °, exhibiting excellent low-wettability to CMAS. In addition, the layer provides outstanding resistance to the penetration of molten CMAS. Hence, the bilayer-structured apatite layer can be used as a protective layer for TBCs to fundamentally address the CMAS corrosion issue.