Multitasking while walking – be it mentally drafting a grocery list or replying to a text message on a phone—is simply second nature to many. For stroke survivors with weakened mobility and cognitive capabilities, however, this common practice of “dual-task walking”, can present a formidable challenge. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) that pioneered early studies on dual-task walking and fall risk in post-stroke individuals has conducted a follow-up study, which reveals that the interaction of cognitive task type and complexity can influence the degree and pattern of “dual-task interference” (DTI), resulting in a slip in physical and mental performance. The findings offer valuable clinical implications for the design of dual-task assessment and training for stroke rehabilitation.

A new review highlights the growing importance of miR-23b, a small but powerful regulator of gene expression, in shaping the development and progression of a wide range of cancers. This molecule, part of the broader family of microRNAs, is increasingly recognised for its complex and sometimes contrasting influence on tumor behaviour, offering fresh perspectives on how cancer can be better understood and managed.

A research team has shown that particle diameter plays a greater role than length in controlling heat transfer through large cylindrical birchwood samples during torrefaction. 

A research team has developed a chitosan-modified, phytic acid-doped polyaniline (CS/PA-PANI) electrode that rapidly and selectively captures uranium from aqueous environments through capacitive deionization. 

A research team has developed a sustainable method for converting biomass and nitrogen-rich polyurethane (PU) waste into nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon for aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs). 

A comparative machine learning study of older adults shows that objective mobility tests and contextual assessment variables outperform demographic information alone for distinguishing fallers from non-fallers. When combined with basic demographic information, mobility measures provide strong screening performance with lower assessment burden than more extensive questionnaire-based approaches.

The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and the era of Big Data have exposed a critical flaw in traditional computer hardware: the slow and energy-consuming data transfer between memory and processors, commonly known as the von Neumann bottleneck. Every day, when our devices process AI queries, they must move massive amounts of data back and forth, causing severe delays and battery drain.

To address this challenge, researchers at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have created a chip with a minimalist architecture that performs complex searches directly where the data is stored, fundamentally bypassing this bottleneck. The research team, led by Professor Can Li from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits (CASIC), has developed a novel analogue content-addressable memory (CAM) utilising two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 flash memories.

A research team has developed an ethanol-assisted method for preparing manganese oxide-modified activated-carbon (MnOₓ/AC) catalysts that remove nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) efficiently at low temperatures. 

A research team from the School of Public Health at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed an innovative global viral genomic blueprint, showing that strategically targeting genomic surveillance on international travellers at two major aviation hubs could accelerate the detection of emerging viral variants by days, even with substantially limited global resources. The findings were published in Nature Communications, offering a practical pathway towards establishing a sustainable global early warning system for future pandemics.