Peer Reviewed

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, enhance land surface maps to identify sloping landscapes in which vegetation changes are associated with slight elevation and water gradients.

A team of researchers has made significant strides in understanding metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) catalysts, offering alternatives to expensive platinum-group-metal (PGM) catalysts and a pathway to a greener future.

Naturally derived antioxidants improve growth of yeast strain in presence of ethanol

New research employs shutter speed analogies to validate 55-year-old theory about chemical reaction rates.

Genome editing is making inroads into biomedical research and medicine. By employing biomolecule modeling tools, a Japanese research team is accelerating the pace and cutting the cost of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology, a primary gene editing tool.

Time series data and causal impact algorithm reveal the effectiveness of a new transit station over a four-year period

Researchers from Osaka University have used a novel combination of short-read and long-read RNA sequencing to identify the different isoforms of genes expressed in the crustacean Daphnia magna. Males and females are genetically identical, but using this technique the team revealed genes that switch the predominant isoform in a sex-dependent manner. This study contributes to our understanding of Daphnia’s sexual dimorphism and helps further advance technologies in crustacean aquaculture.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo demonstrate enhanced radiative heat transfer across a gap between two micro-sized silicon plates by coating them with a layer of silicon dioxide, which may significantly improve heat management of computers.

Walking and running is notoriously difficult to recreate in robots. Now, a group of researchers has overcome some of these challenges by creating an innovative method that employs central pattern generators - neural circuits located in the spinal cord that generate rhythmic patterns of muscle activity - with deep reinforcement learning. The method not only imitates walking and running motions but also generates movements for frequencies where motion data is absent, enables smooth transition movements from walking to running, and allows for adapting to environments with unstable surfaces.

Using image-based deep learning and dynamic shape classification techniques, SUTD researchers developed a novel method of checking red blood cell deformability that is less invasive, more cost-effective, more sensitive, and has higher throughput.

Researchers undertook a study of older adults to examine the connection between a sense of economic insecurity and a person’s participation in social activities.

Researchers from Osaka University developed an in silico library comprising 54 potential triarylborane catalysts for the functionalization of amino acids and peptides with molecular hydrogen as a reductant. This library, together with chemometric machine learning, was used to identify the best candidates. Based on this process, an optimal catalyst was identified and found to promote the alkylation of aniline derivatives with exceptional functional group tolerance and produce only water as a coproduct.

A global study by an SUTD researcher in collaboration with scientists from Japan explores the economic benefits of airport investment in emerging economies using nighttime satellite imagery.

Charge-recharge cycling of lithium-superrich iron oxide, a cost-effective and high-capacity cathode for new-generation lithium-ion batteries, can be greatly improved by doping with readily available mineral elements.

Osaka University researchers discovered a concerning association between bacteremia and probiotic use, particularly with Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) MIYAIRI 588. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that all C. butyricum bacteremia strains were probiotic derivatives. Out of 6,576 cases of positive blood cultures, C. butyricum was detected in only five cases, all derived from probiotics. The study underscores rare but serious adverse events linked to probiotics, advocating cautious prescribing practices, especially for hospitalized patients.

In a recent study published in the multidisciplinary academic journal Science Bulletin, a semi-monthly high-caliber peer-reviewed research outlet covering a broad range of natural sciences and high-tech fields, researchers from the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University utilized hopping probe scanning ion conductance microscopy (HPICM) and highly sensitive platinum-functionalized nanoelectrodes to conduct an in-depth investigation of the dynamic response of individual living colorectal cancer Caco-2 cells to changes in intracellular and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) gradients, specifically focusing on eustress, at the single-cell level and in real-time. Their findings hold promise for innovative therapies against cancer and H2O2-related inflammatory diseases.

Researchers from Osaka University have found that a brain disorder associated with flu (influenza-associated encephalopathy, or IAE) can be caused by the influenza virus entering the brain from the blood via endothelial cells. In these cells, the researchers observed viral protein accumulation, suggesting that antivirals targeting viral transcription/translation may be useful treatments for some patients. Given the lack of effective treatments for IAE, this finding will likely improve patient care and reduce IAE-related deaths worldwide.

Classification of these plants bloom to double the number of taxonomic groups through morphological study, DNA analysis

Samples reveal evidence of changes experienced by the surface of asteroid Ryugu, some probably due to micrometeoroid bombardment.

Our brains are truly miraculous. They can process vast swathes of information with very little energy supply. One of the many ways our brain may do this is through dilation of blood vessels, which enhances energy circulation and clears wasteful materials. A research team has recently developed a method that easily observes and monitors this phenomenon.

Chemical and heat treatment of sewage sludge can recover phosphorus in a process that could help address the problem of diminishing supplies of phosphorus ores.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how the use of high-speed atomic force microscopy helps to understand the crucial role played by certain biomolecules in DNA wrapping dynamics.

Osaka University researchers discovered liver resident macrophages' pivotal role in defending against gut bacteria and related substances entering via the portal vein, particularly under compromised intestinal barrier conditions. Identified as "sentinel macrophages," they are activated by isoallo-lithocholic acid. This finding holds promise for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies for liver chronic inflammatory diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), by enhancing the function of these macrophages to mitigate inflammation and improve treatment efficacy.

As wildfires in Siberia become more common, global climate modeling estimates significant impacts on climate, air quality, health, and economies in East Asia and across the northern hemisphere.

The enzyme PI3K plays a critical role in cell migration. Scientists have long understood this function. But researchers have recently unveiled that a subunit of this enzyme also has the ability to slam on the breaks to this process.

Researchers from Osaka University examined how specific types of contextual changes, such as government recommendations and perceived behavior of others, influenced mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found a complex relationship between societal norms and individual behavior during the pandemic, indicating that future strategies for public health crises interventions should consider various factors and contexts, including cultural predispositions.

Using neutron scattering and voltage measurements, a group of researchers have discovered that a material's magnetic properties can predict spin current changes with temperature. The finding is a major breakthrough in the field of spintronics.

- A joint research team from DGIST-UNIST has developed ultra-high-efficiency pure red light-emitting devices by modifying the surface of perovskite light-emitting layers to enhance stability and electrical properties. - The findings have been published in the journal “Materials Today.”

- A joint research team between DGIST, Ewha Womans University, Incheon National University, and Sang-hoon Nam at MIT used atomic force microscopy to identify what causes electron-hole separation due to energy-level differences within and at the interface between crystals in the light-absorbing layer of thin-film solar cells - Suggested directions to understand carrier behaviors in a variety of fields with atomic force microscopy

Bacteriophage therapy could be developed based on study’s results