University of Missouri study challenges assumptions about biodiversity near Earth’s first reef systems.

Researchers from the University of South China have developed the Two-Potential approach to obtain the key information about the nuclear structure in heavy and superheavy region.  It is found that atomic nuclei with the number of neutrons near N=162 are more stable. Encouraged by this, the half-lives of unknown nuclei around N = 162 are predicted. More importantly, the half-lives of possible new elements are also predicted. These theoretical results can serve provide guidance for the subsequent synthetic experiments.

A new study led by Prof. Jiandong Feng, Zhejiang University, reported a novel quantum-patch-clamp probe based on manipulating intracellular single quantum sensors to measure the local multi-physical field in real-time and in situ, offering new insights into intracellular dynamics.

Researchers from Fujita Health University have found that chronic hyponatremia (CHN), a condition of prolonged low blood sodium, induces anxiety-like behaviors in mice. CHN disrupts serotonin and dopamine levels and reduces extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in the amygdala, a key brain region for emotion. These changes are reversible with sodium level correction. The findings suggest that CHN directly affects brain function and support early diagnosis and treatment to improve mental well-being in affected individuals.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)-led research team has adopted gyromagnetic double-zero-index metamaterials (GDZIMs) - a new optical extreme-parameter material – and developed a groundbreaking method to control light using GDZIMs. This discovery could revolutionize fields like optical communications, biomedical imaging, and nanotechnology, enabling advances in integrated photonic chips, high-fidelity optical communication, and quantum light sources.

Published in Nature, the study was co-led by Prof. CHAN Che-Ting, Interim Director of the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study and Chair Professor in the Department of Physics, and Dr. ZHANG Ruoyang, Visiting Scholar in the Department of Physics at HKUST.

This study presents a novel CuO/MgO catalyst for electrochemical CO₂ methanation, achieving high activity, selectivity, and stability. The catalyst exhibits a Faradaic efficiency of 82.3 % and a current density of 568.2 mA cm^-2 at -1.0 V vs. RHE. In-situ characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that strong electronic metal-support interactions stabilize Cu²⁺ sites and optimize the adsorption of key intermediates, promoting methane production while suppressing C-C coupling pathways.