Recently, a research team led by Prof. LI Chuanfeng from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) achieved a breakthrough in quantum photonics. They developed an on-chip photonic simulator capable of simulating arbitrary-range coupled frequency lattices with gauge potential. This study was published in Physical Review Letters.

A research team led by Prof. CHEN Yan at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) took a leap forward in cardiovascular health monitoring. They developed a non-invasive radio frequency (RF) based system capable of monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) with clinical-grade accuracy over extended periods. This research has been published in Nature Communications.

A research team led by Prof. SHEN Yan'an from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has made significant progress in studying the sources and formation mechanisms of haze. Through coal combustion experiments and high-precision sulfur isotope analysis, the researchers drew the conclusion that particulate matter from coal combustion is one of the main sources of haze in North China. The findings were published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on December 10.

To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of anemia of varying severity among women of reproductive age, we conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional study between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, including 4 184 547 nonpregnant women aged 18–49 years from all 31 provinces in the mainland of China. Anemia was defined as having hemoglobin concentration < 120.0 g/L and categorized as mild, moderate, and severe. Multivariate logistic models with cluster effect were used to explore the association of anemia and metabolic risk factors. The standardized prevalence of anemia and moderate and worse anemia among women of reproductive age in China was 15.8% (95% CI 15.1%–16.6%) and 6.6% (6.3%–7.0%), respectively. The prevalence of anemia and the proportion of moderate and worse anemia significantly increased with age. We also observed great geographic variations in the prevalence of anemia, with a high likelihood in south, central, and northwest China. Moderate and/or severe anemia was positively associated with overweight and obesity, diabetes, and impaired kidney function. In conclusion, anemia remains a significant challenge for women of reproductive age in China. Geographic variations and metabolic risk factors should be considered in the comprehensive and targeting strategy for anemia reduction.

In a paper published in Molecular Biomedicine, the authors underscore the heterogeneity of Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) by elaborating on their origins, types and function. Most importantly, by elucidating the direct or indirect crosstalk between CAFs and immune cells, the extracellular matrix, and cancer cells, they emphasize the tumorigenicity of CAFs in cancer. Finally, they highlight the challenges encountered in the exploration of CAFs and list targeted therapies for CAF, which have implications for clinical treatment.

This study introduces smRandom-seq2, a high-throughput and high-resolution single-microbe RNA sequencing method, which captures and analyzes the transcriptional activities of individual microbes in the human gut microbiome. The technique identifies 29,742 single microbes and 329 unique species, revealing adaptive response states and host-phage activity associations.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a crucial role in regulating calcium handling and cellular function in cardiac myocytes. However, the properties of cardiac SR calcium have not been fully elucidated, particularly in small rodents like rats and mice, which are widely used in cardiovascular research.

In this groundbreaking study, researchers from Beijing University of Technology and Xi’an Jiaotong University developed a spatially detailed numerical model to investigate calcium movements within the junctional SR (jSR) cisternae of rat cardiomyocytes. This model accurately replicated the jSR calcium kinetics observed in a recent experimental study, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms governing calcium handling in rat cardiomyocytes.

Recently, researchers from Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences/Spallation Neutron Source Science Center and collaborators investigated the phonon dynamics in a low-thermal-conductivity crystal, which is stable in wide temperature of 8-700 K, and observed liquid-like phonon transport behavior in this ordered crystal CsAg₅Te₃, through first-principles calculations and neutron scattering experiments.