Many vitreoretinal disorders, including retinal detachment (rhegmatogenous, exudative, or tractional), macular holes, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and vitreous hemorrhage, often require vitrectomy with retinal repair, followed by intraocular tamponade to stabilize the retina and preserve ocular integrity. The tamponade agents most used in clinical practice are expansile gases and silicone oil. Although these materials can effectively support postoperative retinal reattachment, they remain limited in terms of long-term stability and biosafety. Complications such as cataract formation, elevated intraocular pressure, intraocular inflammation, and retinal injury associated with silicone oil emulsification may still occur. To address this challenge, Prof. Jianhai Yang and Prof. Wenguang Liu (Tianjin University), together with Prof. Xiaorong Li and Prof. Xiaoli Xing (Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital) developed an injectable zwitterionic polymer hydrogel based on poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC).

Since the Last Glacial Maximum, the Earth’s climate system has undergone pronounced temperature and hydroclimatic changes. This long-term evolution provides an important context for understanding the natural background of modern climate change and the response of the climate system to external forcing. Over China, climate evolution exhibits substantial regional heterogeneity under the combined influence of the East Asian monsoon and the complex topography of the Tibetan Plateau. Using high-resolution dynamical downscaling simulations, Professor Liang Ning and colleagues at Nanjing Normal University systematically investigated millennial-scale climate evolution over China since the Last Glacial Maximum. The results show that the regional climate model provides a more detailed representation of the spatial heterogeneity of temperature and precipitation associated with complex terrain. In addition, the contrasting Holocene trends of summer cooling and winter warming over northern China, the Tibetan Plateau, and northwestern China provide a new seasonal perspective on the Holocene temperature conundrum between proxy reconstructions and climate-model simulations. The study was published in the 2026 Issue 8 of the Chinese and English editions of SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences.

Photodetectors are the “eyes” of modern electronic systems, playing a vital role in fields ranging from optical communication and imaging to sensing. As technology advances, there is a growing demand for photodetectors that are not only highly sensitive but also capable of detecting a broad spectrum of light, responding rapidly, and distinguishing complex optical information. However, traditional photodetectors often face inherent limitations, such as low light absorption efficiency in thin materials, slow response speeds due to carrier trapping, and limited spectral ranges dictated by material bandgaps.

A study from Koç University shows that regional organizations such as the EU and ASEAN may ease, or aggravate, conflicts depending not only on where they draw their boundaries, but on how flexible, hierarchical and inclusive those boundaries are.

A new formulation of CO₂ foams could help address one of the energy industry’s main challenges, specifically regarding the injection of CO₂ underground: controlling CO₂ mobility in reservoir porous media. This advancement has the potential to improve reservoir sweep, enhance oil recovery, and increase geological CO₂ retention. A recent study demonstrates that a polymer-reinforced CO₂ foam can multiply the flow resistance of CO₂, preventing it from moving inefficiently through the reservoir.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Lee Ho Seong) has established purity analysis techniques and testing procedures for 15 high-purity gases used in semiconductor processes, and has developed six certified reference materials (CRMs) that verify measurement accuracy. This provides a foundation for objectively evaluating the quality of semiconductor gases domestically, moving beyond a reliance on the certificates of analysis provided by suppliers themselves.

A University of Staffordshire PhD student has received national recognition for research that could transform how bloodstain evidence at crime scenes is analysed.

 

Emma Hook has been awarded the Science & Justice Review Award by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences for the best review paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science & Justice during 2024–2025.

 

The award, chosen by the journal's Editor-in-Chief and the Society's Council, recognises Emma's paper, Bloodstain Classification Methods: A Critical Review and a Look to the Future, co-authored with University of Staffordshire academics Dr Sarah Fieldhouse and David Flatman-Fairs, alongside Professor Graham Williams from the University of Hull.

Commercial pet foods may be an overlooked source of PFAS exposure for companion animals. We analyzed 100 dog and cat food products in Japan and found PFAS widely, with fish-derived ingredients tending to contain higher long-chain PFAS. A follow-up paired serum–food study showed that cats had higher long-chain PFCA burdens and stronger serum–food relationships than dogs, suggesting that pet food can contribute to feline PFAS exposure in household environments.