Traditionally, the duration of LOME was estimated at 1–2 million years. However, the use of advanced high-precision zircon U-Pb dating techniques shows that the extinction occurred on a much shorter timescale, spanning hundreds of thousands of years.

An international research team led by Dr. ZHANG Shukang and postdoctoral researcher Dr. CHOI Seung from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has conducted a comprehensive study of secondary eggshell units (SEUs) in dinosaur eggshells using techniques including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For comparison, they examined some eggshells of modern birds, turtles, and crocodiles.

Chinese researchers led by Prof. XIAO Jun at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a groundbreaking technology that sheds light on how the three-dimensional (3D) organization of plant genomes influences gene expression—especially in photosynthesis.

Researchers from Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (TDLI) & School of Physics and Astronomy (SPA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) have proposed a lutetium yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystal electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL)^[1], designed for the DarkSHINE experiment^[2-6]. By precisely measuring the energy loss of electrons after their interaction with a target, the ECAL is designed to search for invisibly decay products of dark photons. Featuring excellent energy resolution and strong radiation tolerance, this calorimeter significantly enhances the sensitivity of dark photon detection.

Ozone pollution is a global environmental concern that not only threatens human health and crop production, but also worsens global warming. While the formation of ozone is often attributed to anthropogenic pollutants, soil emissions are revealed to be another important source. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) researchers have examined global soil nitrous acid (HONO) emissions data from 1980 to 2016 and incorporated them in a chemistry-climate model to unveil the pivotal role soil HONO emissions play in the increase of the ozone mixing ratio in air and its negative impact on vegetation.

Phase reconstruction, as a key technology in the field of optics, aims to recover phase information from the intensity information of light waves. The phase of light waves contains crucial information such as the shape, thickness, and refractive index distribution of transparent objects, which is indispensable for many fields, including holographic imaging, optical microscopy, laser interferometry measurement, and even adaptive optical systems. However, since most detectors can only capture light intensity data, directly measuring the phase of light waves has always been technically challenging and remains unachievable. There are various traditional phase reconstruction methods, including interference-based measurement techniques, Fourier transform-based phase recovery techniques, and iterative phase recovery techniques. Although phase reconstruction technology has shown great application potential in many fields, it still faces a series of technical difficulties. In complex light field environments, the accuracy and stability of phase reconstruction may be affected by noise interference and algorithm convergence issues.

As the automotive industry shifts toward electric vehicles (EVs), reducing weight has become critical to improving energy efficiency and driving range. Traditional steel components, while robust, significantly increase vehicle mass, leading to higher energy consumption. Composite materials, especially carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP), offer a compelling alternative—combining high strength, stiffness, and corrosion resistance with remarkable weight savings. However, designing composite structures for EVs remains challenging due to their multi-scale nature and anisotropic properties.

A world team including Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VISTEC from Thailand, Universidad de Zaragoza and Universitat de Girona presents a computational framework for the organocatalytic cycloaddition of CO₂ to epoxides to form cyclic carbonates, key for the polymer industry. It identifies the rate-determining step and highlights the buried volume of epoxide oxygen as a key factor. Results align with experiments and support rational catalyst design beyond ascorbic acid, promoting predictive catalysis for efficient CO₂ utilization by machine learning tools. Their work was published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials in May 2025.

Recently, a paradigm-shifting review published in MedComm-Future Medicine redefines the skin as a “central command center” that orchestrates health across multiple organs. Led by Prof. Ting Li’s team at Macau University of Science and Technology, the study identifies key molecular messengers, particularly the immune protein IL-17A, that derive bidirectional signaling along the newly defined “skin-organ axis”. By combining evidence from clinical trials with advanced microfluidic organ-chip models, this work proposes a roadmap for revolutionary therapies targeting systemic diseases from arthritis to depression.