A research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) scholars has discovered a significant slowdown in Arctic sea ice melting since 2012, with the decrease rate of 11.3% per decade to an insignificant downward trend of only −0.4% per decade. This phenomenon is closely related to a shift in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) pattern, from a negative phase to its positive phase, which traps cold air within the Arctic region. It is projected to peak between 2030 and 2040, after which the Arctic could enter a new phase of accelerated ice melt. Without reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, this may trigger severe climate and environmental crises within decades.

The study reports on the development of core–shell magnetic nanocomposites coated with bioactive glass for combined bone cancer therapy and regeneration of the injured bone area. The magnetic materials showed high saturation magnetization, rapid apatite formation, and chemical stability. These multifunctional nanocomposites demonstrate strong potential to be used in hyperthermia-assisted cancer treatment and tissue engineering applications.

Researchers have developed a fiber neural network system that performs intelligent processing of optical communication signals directly in the light domain. This approach integrates optical transmission with optical computing, significantly improving processing efficiency and reducing power consumption for tasks like modulation format recognition.