Published in the Journal of Palaeogeography (Chinese Edition), this work underscores the journal’s role as a hub for cutting-edge Earth science research. By integrating regional geology with universal themes, it attracts studies that redefine our understanding of Earth’s past while informing sustainable resource exploration. For scholars, the NCC’s mineral archives exemplify how localized data can unravel global mysteries—a testament to the journal’s commitment to impactful, globally relevant science.

A groundbreaking study by researchers from Chongqing University and the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveals that diatoms can transform lunar soil, boosting its water retention and nutrient levels to support robust plant growth. This breakthrough paves the way for sustainable agriculture in lunar habitats, offering a vital step toward humanity’s long-term survival and interplanetary exploration.

The innovation proposes converting cellulose acetate from cigarette butts into carbon-based low-dimensional functional materials, extending their high-value applications in renewable energy fields such as triboelectric nanogenerators, flexible batteries, and hydrogen storage devices. This waste-to-resource approach simultaneously addresses environmental pollution and reduces material costs for clean energy technologies.

A novel in-plane pore engineering strategy to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance of Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene is demonstrated, achieving higher electrochemical activity, lower charge transfer resistance, and improved stability, while further boosting performance via localized surface plasmon resonance under near-infrared laser irradiation.

Researchers from Donghua University have developed a novel piezo-photocatalytic technology using bismuth ferrite (Bi₂Fe₄O₉) to efficiently degrade reactive dyes in wastewater. The study demonstrates that combining piezoelectric and photocatalytic effects significantly enhances the degradation efficiency of the dye KN-R. This innovative approach not only offers an effective solution for treating dye wastewater but also highlights the potential of Bi₂Fe₄O₉ as a sustainable and eco-friendly material for environmental applications.

The protective effectiveness of environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) for SiC-based composites is challenged by the thickening and phase transformation of the SiO₂ scale, known as thermally grown oxide (TGO). In this study, a tri-layered TGOs scale, comprising cristobalite, Hf-doped SiO₂ glass, and particle-reinforced Hf-Si-O glass, was formed during the oxidation of MoSi₂/HfO₂ duplex EBCs. The incorporation of the gradient Hf-doping and HfO₂/HfSiO₄ particle-reinforcement were demonstrated to effectively suppress the crystallization and phase transition of the SiO₂ and mitigate internal stress within the EBCs, generating a crack-blocking effect. This effect prevented the TGOs scale from further channel crack propagation, enabled the SiC substrate with no detectable corrosion after 200 h of exposure at 1500 °C in steam, even when the TGOs thickness reached 24.5 μm. This work presents a novel strategy to simultaneously extend the service lifetime and enhance the high-temperature capability of EBCs through the tailored design of TGOs composition and structure.

This research article focuses on the taxonomic contributions of Pleosporales and Kirschsteiniotheliales from the Xizang Autonomous Region, China. The study identifies ten new taxa of microfungi, including a new genus and nine new species, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. It details the methods used for collection, fungal isolation, morphology, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses. The results section provides detailed descriptions of the identified species, including their morphological characteristics, culture characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships. The discussion section highlights the significance of the Xizang Autonomous Region as a hotspot for fungal biodiversity and discusses the taxonomic placement and characteristics of the identified fungi.

A research team from Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has announced an ambitious scientific plan to construct a "Super η Factory" in Huizhou, Guangdong province, China. This facility will utilize high-intensity proton beams to produce over 10¹³ η mesons annually, offering an unparalleled platform for probing dark portal particles, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and other frontier questions in physics

China's Subsidized Cancer Screening initiaive in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, benefits millions in the area. The project uses the more effective, non-invasive stool DNA test, which outperforms the traditional fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in detecting advanced adenomas and identifying high-risk individuals earlier.

To explore how genetic testing guides precision medicine for both gynecologic cancer patients and clinicians, we spoke with two leading experts: Professor Wu Xiaohua, Professor of Medical Oncology at Fudan University's Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, and Professor Du Bin, Chief of Pathology at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital.