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.

In a breakthrough set to revolutionize the semiconductor industry, the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed the world’s first-of-its-kind deep-ultraviolet (UVC) microLED display array for lithography machines. This enhanced efficiency UVC microLED has showcased the viability of a lowered cost maskless photolithography through the provision of adequate light output power density, enabling exposure of photoresist films in a shorter time.

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.

A new study by Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reveals groundbreaking findings about the famous Rujm el-Hiri site (known as the "Wheel of Ghosts") in the Golan Heights. Based on geomagnetic analysis and tectonic reconstruction, the researchers determined that geodynamic movement over 150 million years, at an average rate of 8–15 mm per year, caused significant shifts in the ground, rotating and reorienting it over millennia. This finding challenges the widely held theory that the structure was used as an astronomical observatory, as the original alignment of the walls and entrances does not correspond to celestial observations, as previously hypothesized.