6-Jun-2025 Decoding the DNA of a culinary favorite: the genetic story of flowering Chinese cabbage Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science A new genomic study has unlocked the genetic secrets behind the breeding of flowering Chinese cabbage—a popular leafy vegetable in Asian cuisine. Journal Horticulture Research
6-Jun-2025 Initiation, organizational modes and environmental conditions of severe convective wind events during the warm season over North China Science China Press In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, a team of researchers analyzed spatiotemporal distribution, organizational modes of severe convective wind (SCW) events during the warm season (May to September) in North China. In addition, the environmental conditions before the occurrence of SCW convective systems and non-SCW convective systems were compared. It provides valuable insights to enhance the forecasting accuracy of severe convective weather events in this region. Journal Science China Earth Sciences
5-Jun-2025 Induction conditions that promote the effect of glycerol on recombinant protein production in E. coli Osaka Metropolitan University An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team finds a smart protein production method using E. coli with a mixture of glucose and glycerol. Journal Biotechnology Reports
5-Jun-2025 MIT researchers use Frontier to model the density, pressure inside neutron stars DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory For astrophysicists, neutron stars stand out as objects of irresistible fascination — perhaps, in part, because of how difficult they are to decipher. But calculations conducted on the Frontier supercomputer, located at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have revealed new clues about the inner workings of neutron stars. Journal Physical Review Letters
5-Jun-2025 Vine in peril: discovery of cold-sensitivity gene in grapes offers new clues Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science Grapevines, widely valued for their fruit and wine, are especially vulnerable to cold temperatures. Journal Horticulture Research
5-Jun-2025 New scoping review explores the role of ChatGPT in helping EFL learners write and evaluate their content ECNU Review of Education Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key aspect of our lives. Large language model (LLM) is an AI which can understand and generate human-like text. ChatGPT is an LLM which is gaining popularity. A new scoping review of 16 studies explores the role of ChatGPT in writing instruction in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. The review highlights the effectiveness of ChatGPT in providing feedback, revising grammar, and idea generation. The review also highlights the limitations of ChatGPT. Journal ECNU Review of Education
5-Jun-2025 The climate cost of mistrust: when environmental policy backfires in traditional communities The Hebrew University of Jerusalem A well-meaning environmental tax turned into a cultural flashpoint: a new study shows that Israel’s 2021 tax on single-use plastics caused a sharp and lasting drop in climate support among the ultra-Orthodox community. Driven by a deep sense of political victimization—not financial burden—many saw the tax as an attack on their way of life. Even years after the tax was repealed, the damage to environmental trust still lingers. Journal Policy Sciences
5-Jun-2025 The δ15N values of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and common millet (Panicum miliaceum) are reliable indicators of manuring practices Science China Press Field and pot fertilization experiments on foxtail millet and common millet further suggest that the millet grain δ15N values can serve as reliable indicators of manuring practices, and the relationship between manuring levels and the δ15N values of archaeological millet remains was proposed. The δ15N values of ancient millet grains suggest widespread and intensive manuring practices in prehistoric North China. Journal Science China Earth Sciences
4-Jun-2025 Probing the power struggle over affordable housing University of California - Irvine Southern California's housing affordability crisis has escalated into a contentious battle between and within different government levels. A study by Alejandra Reyes, UC Irvine assistant professor of urban planning and public policy, published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research (JPER) examines the complex governance interplay, focusing on Orange County as a microcosm of the broader housing debate in California. Journal Journal of Planning Education and Research
4-Jun-2025 Breakthrough in flexible printed circuit boards: laser-induced graphene enables sustainable hybrid circuit manufacturing Boise State University College of Engineering In article number 2401901, David Estrada and co-workers demonstrate a new approach to flexible PCB manufacturing. Through the use of Pd nanoparticle catalysts embedded in laser-induced graphene, the electroless plating of copper traces enables a simple and innovative approach to advance flexible hybrid electronics research and manufacturing processes. Image credit: Alex Jerez, Scientific Illustrator. Journal Advanced Materials Technologies Funder DOE/US Department of Energy, Air Force Research Laboratory
