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Researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators have synthesized a new isotope—protactinium-210—for the first time. It is the most neutron-deficient isotope of protactinium synthesized to date. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.

The is a quantum many-body system composed of protons and neutrons. Synthesizing and studying new nuclides is a frontier research topic in nuclear physics. Through this research, scientists can explore the limits of the existence of nuclei and deepen our understanding of the fundamental properties of matter.

Theoretical predictions suggest the existence of around 7,000 nuclides, yet only about 3,300 have been experimentally synthesized and observed so far.

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A study led by Northeastern University professor Jonathan Peelle with researchers from across the globe has confirmed that people’s ability to detect background sounds varies from person to person, and is influenced by the noise that came before the sounds.

Peelle’s large-scale replication of a 10-year-old study involved 25 labs across 10 countries and included 149 participants. The findings are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

About a decade ago, a suggested that some people are better at picking out background sounds than others, and that this ability depends on the surrounding noise. But the study’s findings were based on data from just five participants, each completing a five-hour task.

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Co-packaged optics (CPO) technology can integrate photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with electronic integrated circuits (EICs) like CPUs and GPUs on a single platform. This advanced technology has immense potential to improve data transmission efficiency within data centers and high-performance computing environments. CPO systems require a laser source for operation, which can be either integrated directly into the silicon photonic chips (integrated laser sources) or provided externally.

While integrated laser sources allow for dense CPO integration, ensuring consistent reliability can be challenging, which may affect overall system robustness. The use of external laser sources (ELS) in CPO, in comparison, offers improved system reliability.

Single-mode waveguides are crucial components of many PICs, where they help couple light from an external laser to the PIC or distribute optical signals within the system. They are cost-effective and mechanically flexible, besides being highly compatible with electrical circuits. Therefore, they show significant potential for use in CPO systems utilizing ELS.

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A research team led by Prof. Yong Gaochan from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed a novel experimental method to probe the hyperon potential, offering new insights into resolving the longstanding “hyperon puzzle” in neutron stars. These findings were published in Physics Letters B and Physical Review C.

According to conventional theories, the extreme densities within neutron stars lead to the production of hyperons containing strange quarks (e.g., Λ particles). These hyperons significantly soften the equation of state (EoS) and reduce the maximum mass of neutron stars. However, have discovered neutron stars with masses approaching or even exceeding twice that of the sun, contradicting theoretical predictions.

Hyperon potential refers to the interaction potential between a hyperon and a nucleon. Aiming to resolve the “neutron star hyperon puzzle,” the study of hyperon potential has emerged as a frontier topic in the interdisciplinary field of nuclear and astrophysics. Currently, it is believed that if hyperon potentials exhibit stronger repulsion at high densities, they could counteract the softening effect of the EoS, thereby allowing massive to exist.

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Brazilian researchers found that boosting the synthesis of hevin, a glycoprotein naturally secreted by astrocytes, led to enhanced neuronal connectivity in rodents. In Brazil, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), along with collaborators from the University of São Pau

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Wuhan, China’s inland metropolis, is paving the way for a nationwide rollout of “embodied” artificial intelligence meant to fast-track scientific discovery, optimize production, streamline commerce, and facilitate state supervision of social activities. Grounded in real-world data, the AI grows smarter, offering a pathway to artificial “general” intelligence that will reinforce state ideology and boost economic goals. This report documents the genesis of Wuhan’s AGI initiative and its multifaceted deployment.

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A new bio-based hot glue derived from a byproduct of the wood pulp industry beats traditional epoxy resins and commercial hot-melt glues in terms of adhesive performance.

Researchers from Beijing Forestry University developed a hot-melt adhesive derived from xylan—a complex sugar found in plant cell walls—that can be applied in a molten state and reused over 10 times without any loss of its original strength.

The synthesis strategy was reported in Nature Sustainability.

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