Stone cells formed through lignin deposition are a major factor affecting pear fruit texture and commercial value. 

Pucai (Typha angustifolia L.), a unique semiaquatic vegetable, is recognized for its high-quality traits, including lignin and chlorophyll content. 

The study uncovers the role of SlATL2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, in regulating tomato immunity against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (Pst) DC3000. 

A new study reveals that the natural plant resistance inducer 2-amino-3-methylhexanoic acid (AMHA) significantly enhances cold tolerance in tea plants by strengthening antioxidant capacity and stabilizing photosynthesis AMHA pretreatment effectively reduces leaf injury, suppresses excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and promotes osmotic adjustment under low temperatures.

Rapid shoot expansion is a hallmark of Moso bamboo, yet the nutrient-supply mechanisms that support this extraordinary growth remain unclear. 

Cold injury is a major limitation to citrus production, yet the molecular mechanisms enabling hardy species to survive freezing remain unclear. 

Strobilurin farm fungicides are showing up from wheat fields to pregnant womens urine, and a new scientific review warns that these “modern” crop protectants may carry hidden risks for ecosystems and human health.

A research team at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is the first ever to observe a beta-delayed neutron emission from fluorine-25, a rare, unstable nuclide. Using the FRIB Decay Station Initiator (FDSi), the team found contradictions in prior experimental findings. The results led to a new line of inquiry into how particles in exotic, unstable isotopes remain bound under extreme conditions. Led by Robert Grzywacz, professor of physics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), the team included Jack Peltier, undergraduate student at UTK, Zhengyu Xu, postdoctoral researcher at UTK, Sean Liddick, professor of chemistry at FRIB and interim chairperson of MSU’s Department of Chemistry, and Rebeka Lubna, scientist at FRIB. The team published its results (“The evidence of N = 16 shell closure and β-delayed neutron emission from ²⁵F”) in Physics Letters B.

The advent of the fifth-generation (5G) technology has revolutionized the way we think about communication networks, enabling a plethora of new use cases and scenarios that were not possible with previous generations of wireless technology. The existing 5G communication networks predominantly rely on terrestrial communication infrastructure, which, however, exhibits several notable limitations such as capacity constraints, latency issues, and energy inefficiencies, necessitating this next-generation leap. The 6G aims to provide a comprehensive solution for a hyperconnected, intelligent, and immersive digital ecosystem, seamlessly integrating terrestrial, airborne, and spaceborne networks which is referred to as the space-air-ground-sea integrated network (SAGSIN). A traditional SAGSIN scenario mainly includes 3 segments: spaceborne network, airborne network, and terrestrial network. The classical SAGSIN architecture has shown remarkable capabilities in providing massive connectivity by integrating spaceborne, airborne, and terrestrial cellular networks, which, however, encounters inherent technical challenges against their respective practical implementation. On the other hand, the philosophy of near-space communications (NS-COM) is gradually emerging. The distinctive location of near space which is 20 ~ 100 km above Earth’s surface positiones at the core of the SAGSIN, thus allowing the NS-COM network to address the shortcomings of traditional spaceborne, terrestrial, and airborne networks. NS-COM present a promising addition to SAGSIN, making them the final piece of the SAGSIN puzzle.