This study reports a labor-saving strategy for hybrid rice seed production using a small flag leaf mutant, ym66, derived from radiation-mutagenized indica rice 93-11. The mutant exhibits extremely short, narrow, and stiff flag leaves due to a 6-bp insertion in the OsGATA15 gene, which leads to cell death and reduced vascular development. Using this mutant, the researchers developed a novel restorer line, NP27, which requires no manual leaf cutting during hybrid seed production. Field tests showed that NP27 achieves seed yields comparable to traditional leaf-cutting methods, while reducing labor costs by approximately 150–180 CNY per mu. Additionally, NP27-derived hybrids display more compact plant architecture, uniform panicles, and improved grain quality. This work provides a "leaf-cutting-free" germplasm resource that simplifies hybrid rice seed production and lowers production costs.

A rapid, precise, on-site, portable, and naked-eye visualization method for genotyping the FecBB mutation in sheep has been established. A genotyping strategy for important SNP site in livestock breeding programmes is provided, theoretically applicable to any SNP site.

Machine learning (ML) is reshaping pipeline integrity management (PIM) from physics-based to data-driven paradigms. This systematic review comprehensively surveys ML applications across pipeline reliability design, integrity assessment, inspection, and maintenance; identifies key bottlenecks including data scarcity, poor interpretability, and limited field validation; and proposes a research roadmap toward tractable, trustworthy ML for full-lifecycle pipeline safety.

Researchers have developed a new polymer electrolyte that enables lithium metal batteries to operate safely at high voltages and across an extreme temperature range, from -40°C to 55°C. The material directly addresses two long-standing barriers to next-generation energy storage: poor oxidation stability and insufficient ionic conductivity. By tuning the molecular structure of the electrolyte and creating a cross-linked network, the team achieved exceptional electrochemical stability and rapid ion transport. This advance brings high-energy-density lithium metal batteries—promising longer-range electric vehicles and more reliable portable electronics—significantly closer to practical, real-world application.

Large language models and autonomous agents have advanced rapidly, showing broad promise in medical imaging analysis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment planning. However, most existing medical AI systems still rely primarily on pre-trained knowledge and fixed workflows, making it difficult to learn continuously from long-term clinical feedback, patient outcomes, and prior treatment experience. This "static AI" architecture limits their value in complex real-world clinical settings.

To address this bottleneck, a team led by Dr. Lian Zhang from the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, in collaboration with domestic and international research partners, has proposed VIBEMed, which is a self-evolving multi-agent framework for clinical decision support designed to enable dynamic learning and safe, traceable system evolution.

Researchers have developed a facile water-based synthetic route for constructing fused azole–pyrimidine energetic materials, producing compounds with high thermal stability, strong detonation performance, and low mechanical sensitivity. The study demonstrates how eco-friendly aqueous synthesis can simultaneously improve safety, thermal resistance, and energetic performance in next-generation heat-resistant explosives.

This study demonstrates the gram-scale synthesis of water-stable M-Gallate (M = Mg, Ni, Co) metal-organic frameworks from inexpensive raw materials, and their application in harvesting water vapour from ultra-low humidity air. The optimal Mg-Gallate MOF achieves a record-high atmospheric water capture capacity of 170.0 mg/g at 0.2% relative humidity (RH) and 25 °C, surpassing all previously reported porous adsorbents under equivalent conditions.

Researchers have developed tough, conductive RBA hydrogels using a hyperbranched multi-arm crosslinking strategy. The hydrogels form a dense, stable network that enables wearable sensors to monitor full-body motion and support Morse-code-based human–machine interaction.