A new extinct insect species, †Caputoraptor elegans, has been discovered with a novel body structure likely used for mating. The species features a unique cephalo-thoracic scissor device on females, which may be used to cling to males during copulation.
A study has linked individual variation in biological motion perception to genetic factors, revealing a common genetic basis for heritable aspects of BM perception and autistic traits. Genetic influences account for up to 50% of individual variation in local kinematics processing, while environmental factors shape global configuration ...
The research found that Gymnocypris selincuoensis fish reproductive cycle is advancing due to climate change, with growing seasons increasing by 17 days per decade. The study suggests that the plateau's aquatic ecosystems are responding to global warming.
Scientists at SIMM have determined the crystal structure of the human glucagon receptor in complex with a glucagon analogue, providing insights into its activation mechanism. The study reveals significant conformational changes in the linker region and extracellular loop that facilitate peptide binding and initiate receptor activation.
Researchers reveal OsMAPK3-OsbHLH002-OsTPP1 pathway enhances rice chilling tolerance by increasing trehalose content and activating cold signal transduction. OsbHLH002 is phosphorylated by OsMAPK3, reducing its ubiquitination and degradation.
A brain imaging study reveals that musical training sharpens and bonds ears and tongue to hear speech better by enhancing neural foundation in bottom-up auditory encoding, top-down speech motoric prediction, and cross-modal auditory-motor integration.
Researchers have found hundreds of well-preserved pterosaur eggs, including 16 with embryonic remains, providing insights into their development and reproductive strategy. The study suggests that these flying reptiles may have needed parental care and engaged in colonial breeding.
The DAMPE mission has published its first scientific results, presenting precise measurements of cosmic ray electron flux and a spectral break at ~0.9 TeV. This data may help clarify the connection between the positron anomaly and particle dark matter annihilation or decay.
A new study has identified a genetic basis for natural variation in aging rates, found to be regulated by a novel neuropeptide coding gene (rgba-1) and its receptor gene npr-28. This discovery provides new insights into the biological regulation of healthy aging.
Researchers uncover fossil evidence of a novel growth mechanism used by the Earth's first trees, allowing them to achieve large sizes. The study reveals that these early forests played a critical role in shaping global processes.
A 40,000-year-old man's genome provides insights into human genetic diversity in East Asia. The study reveals a complicated separation for ancient Europeans and Asians, suggesting multiple genetically distinct populations existed in Asia until the present.
A team of scientists has demonstrated entanglement swapping with two independent sources 12.5 km apart using a 103-km optical fiber, increasing the experimental distance from metropolitan to inter-city levels.
A new study reveals that Mediator subunit MED25 links the jasmonate receptor to transcriptionally active chromatin. It also interacts with histone modification enzymes to regulate gene expression, integrating genetic and epigenetic regulators.
Researchers discovered that auxin signaling defines the expression of genes WOX1 and PRS, which enable leaf blade expansion and flattening. This finding refines our understanding of auxin signaling in leaf development.
Researchers have provided high-resolution insights into the light harvesting process of plants under low light conditions. The study reveals the structural features and energy transfer pathways within the C2S2M2-type PSII-LHCII supercomplex, shedding light on its functional regulation and oxygen-evolving activity.
Researchers discovered ILCregs, a regulatory subpopulation of innate lymphoid cells, that suppress intestinal inflammation by secreting IL-10 and TGF-β1. This unique population has a distinct genetic identity from other immune cells and may hold potential for treating chronic inflammatory diseases.
Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences create SHANK3-deficient non-human primate model, showing significant reduction in postsynaptic proteins and mature neurons. The study highlights the critical role of SHANK3 in early brain development and its potential for advancing autism research.
Researchers have discovered a critical neural pathway that transmits itch signals from the spinal cord to the brain, with the parabrachial nucleus identified as a first relay. The study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying itch signal processing and offers potential targets for therapeutic treatment of chronic itching.
A nationwide survey found high levels of antimicrobial-resistant genes in urban sewage across China, with over 381 distinct resistance genes detected. The study suggests municipal sewage as a major conduit for transferring antibiotic resistance into the environment.
Methylation and S-nitrosylation are conserved protein modifications that regulate abiotic stress responses in plants. NO positively regulates PRMT5 activity through S-nitrosylation, leading to proper splicing-specific pre-mRNA processing and enhanced tolerance to stress.
Research reveals that dodder plants transmit herbivory-induced signals among host plants, triggering defense responses and reducing insect growth. The discovery showcases the complex ecological interactions between parasitic plants and their hosts.
A new study published in Neuron provides direct experimental evidence for the 'Memory-Synapse Specificity' Hypothesis, linking a specific type of synapse to a particular behavior and memory. The research reveals that synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) at a specific type of synapse encodes socially acquired olfactory memory.
Researchers from CAS developed noble metal-based heterogeneous electrocatalysts with enhanced catalytic activity and high selectivity for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). DMFCs operated well at high-concentration methanol, outperforming conventional strategies.
Researchers developed a novel approach to synthesizing Janus particles with controllable topological and chemical anisotropy using emulsion interfacial polymerization. The method produced uniform Janus particles with amphiphilicity, expanding their utility in applications such as oil-water separation and biological detection.
Researchers have identified an asymmetric role for pre-synaptic cadherin/catenin complexes in stabilizing post-synaptic spines. This finding challenges the long-held assumption of symmetry in synaptogenesis and has implications for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder.
A 55-year series of Tibetan Plateau tree-ring data shows that the start of growing season advanced by 0.28 days/year, while end of growing season delayed by 0.33 days/year between 1960-2014. April-June and August-September minimum temperatures drive these changes.
Researchers discovered a novel epigenetic signaling axis involving PRC1, microRNA, and PRC2 that regulates the self-renewal and proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells. The study found that Ezh2 represses miR-203 expression, which negatively regulates self-renewal and proliferation but promotes neuronal differentiation.
Researchers developed new tools to infer context-specific regulatory networks from paired expression and chromatin accessibility data. This approach recovers significant information on binding locations and chromatin states, enabling accurate inferences for gene regulatory relationships.
Researchers developed an EcoCity model to regulate urban land cover structures and thermal environments, providing fundamental data for urban heat island mitigation. The model showed that land-cover components significantly affect thermal environments in different urban functional zones.
Phytolith dating suggests rice domestication occurred at Shangshan in China around 9,400 cal yr BP, or possibly earlier. The study found that rice bulliform phytoliths with more than nine fish scales were present in early occupation stages, indicating the beginning of rice domestication.
Researchers found that graphene covers weaken adsorption on Pt(111) surfaces, enabling modulation of surface reactions and promoting oxygen reduction reaction activity. This study demonstrates the potential of 2D materials in designing high-performance nanocatalysts.
Researchers found that Vitamin D3 stimulates lipid metabolism through VDR-RXR heterodimers, activating Pgc1a for mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. This study reveals a basal nonskeletal effect of ancient VD/VDR signaling in teleosts.
Researchers found that Tibetan Alpine grasslands are vulnerable to climate warming, with temperature changes destabilizing the ecosystem. The study suggests reduced forage production in drought years and increased biomass production in wet years, posing consequences for ecosystem services like climate regulation and water conservation.
Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences create first underwater acoustic carpet cloak using transformation acoustics, controlling sound wave propagation. The carpet cloak, composed of layered brass plates, successfully mimics a reflecting plane and makes the cloaked object imperceptible to sound detection.
Researchers have successfully developed a high-efficient, stable, and multifunctional Na-Fe3O4/HZSM-5 catalyst for direct production of gasoline from CO2 hydrogenation. The catalyst exhibited 78% selectivity to C5-C11 hydrocarbons under industrial conditions.
International scientists have discovered a short-lived community of organisms that may hold clues to forces shaping our planet today. The community, which included microbial mats, trace fossils, bivalves, and echinoids, was found in a moderately deep-water setting near Shangsi in China's Sichuan Province.
Fossils of ancient termite-loving rove beetles, named Cretotrichopsenius burmiticus, reveal that ancient termite societies were quickly invaded by beetles about 99 million years ago. The discovery pushes back the fossil record of termitophiles by 80 million years.
Scientists have discovered fossilized damselflies in Burmese amber that display ancient courtship behaviors, including elaborate leg structures and wing-like features. The findings suggest that damselfly mating rituals may have occurred as far back as the dinosaur era.
A team of scientists has discovered intact mushroom and mycophagous rove beetles in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber, shedding light on the early evolution of fungi. The findings suggest a long-term evolutionary stasis of body form for at least 99 million years.
Recent advances in understanding regulatory mechanisms of HH pathway and chemical regulation are discussed. CAS scientists propose a hypothetical model for endogenous chemical modulation and suggest precise interventions for better therapeutic outcomes.
Scientists discovered a highly specialized beetle from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, revealing morphological traits for capturing springtails. This finding pushes back the age of such predation by at least 54 million years, providing new insights into Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems.
Two early Late Pleistocene crania from Lingjing, China exhibit a morphological mosaic with similarities to Neandertals and eastern Eurasian humans. The fossils provide insight into the biology and population history of early Late Pleistocene eastern Eurasia.
A study by Prof. ZHANG Donghui and colleagues reveals details of the H' + CH4 substitution reaction, which proceeds through the back-side attack Walden inversion mechanism. The reaction exhibits a high threshold energy and different isotope effects for thermal rate constant and cross-sections.
Researchers discovered oxide nanostructures with diameters below 3nm display superior oxidation resistance than larger counterparts. The 'dynamic size effect' mechanism determines the stability of supported nanoparticles, enabling the development of anti-corrosion materials.
A large-scale study detected high levels of antibiotic resistance genes in estuaries along China's coastline, with some samples containing up to 100 million genes per gram of sediment. The study suggests that human activity, particularly inadequate wastewater treatment, is the primary cause of this environmental pollution.
A team of researchers has discovered a vast array of exceptionally preserved fossils, including delicate skeletons and soft tissues, from the immediate aftermath of the Ordovician mass extinction. The Anji Biota records an astonishing range of diverse sponge species, with many thriving in large and complex ecosystems.
Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences found that BCAS2 plays a crucial role in alternative mRNA splicing during mouse spermatogenesis, leading to impaired meiosis initiation. The study provides evidence for the importance of alternative splicing machinery in regulating germ cell development.
Researchers used comparative genomics to study the giant panda and red panda, revealing 70 adaptively convergent genes involved in limb development, digestion, and pseudogenization. These findings provide insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotype convergence in these species.
The Dalian Coherent Light Source (DCLS) is a new bright VUV FEL light source, unique in operating within the VUV region and delivering world's brightest FEL light in an energy range of 8 to 24 eV. It has applications in studying basic energy science, chemistry, physics, and atmospheric sciences.
A team of international scientists has discovered beta-keratin in a 130 million-year-old bird feather fossil, providing evidence that melanosomes are present in these structures. This finding sheds new light on the molecular preservation of tissues in ancient fossils.