Peer Reviewed

DNA - the blueprint of life – can also act as a reaction vessel that guides chemical reactions. This is possible using interstrand crosslinking technology developed by researchers at Tohoku University.

An international collaborative research team, including researchers from the Faculty of Frontier Engineering at Kanazawa University, has for the first time elucidated sex differences in motor unit firing patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease. Utilizing high-density surface electromyography (HD-SEMG), their detailed analysis of motor unit activity revealed that female patients exhibited significantly greater asymmetry in motor unit discharge rates and lower persistent inward currents (PICs) compared to males. These findings suggest that neurodegeneration may be more asymmetrical in females, even when presenting with similar motor symptoms. This study indicates that motor unit behavior can serve as a sensitive evaluation tool to highlight differences in disease presentation between sexes, potentially leading to the development of personalized treatment strategies that consider sex-specific factors in the future.

New research examines how carceral punishment in Philippine jails extends far beyond legal sentences by permeating every bodily sense.

Research from The University of Osaka highlights a new model of a gyroscopic wave energy converter. The device was shown to be capable of absorbing up to half of incoming wave energy across a wide range of frequencies, meaning it could achieve the theoretical maximum efficiency. These results provide important design insights for more efficient and adaptable wave energy technologies.

Researchers look into how people view themselves, nature and the relationships between them to investigate how traditional worldviews and human-nature relationships can impact the health of the Earth

A study finds that shelterbelts, trees planted as windbreaks, in Japan’s wet farmlands boost edge-dwelling bird population but cut grassland species by about 74%, with numbers rebounding roughly a kilometer away, revealing an overlooked conservation trade-off.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo track the global circulation of water molecules in time and space using isotope ensemble modeling, enabling better prediction of changing hydrological patterns and weather extremes

Offers a promising route for precise glass manufacturing

Specific types of malocclusion, or bite misalignment, are associated with tooth loss. A group of researchers recently investigated the effects of anterior crossbite and anterior open bite on tooth loss using one of the largest community-based cohorts, the Tohoku Medical Megabank Cohort Study (2013–2017). The study determined that anterior crossbite increases the risk of tooth and molar loss compared to adults with normal occlusion.

From the DeLorean to skyscrapers, stainless steel is known for its exceptional strength. But exposure to certain elements, such as seawater, can compromise it. Grinding the surface of stainless steel has long been known to reduce its corrosion resistance, and now researchers at Tohoku University have discovered why, potentially opening the door to new ways to mitigate the problem.

Researchers developed a compact device that converts sunlight and waste heat into clean hydrogen fuel while simultaneously purifying water. This innovative system improves energy efficiency and offers a promising solution for sustainable energy and environmental remediation.

Researchers at Tohoku University discovered an intranodal lympho-venous shunt (a sort of bypass route) that could help us unravel the complicated, intertwined network of our body’s lymphatic system.

The approach uses 3D printing to produce WC–Co cemented carbides—ultra-hard materials used in cutting and construction tools—while reducing the waste and cost of conventional manufacturing.

Carbon-based π-electron compounds are usually a first pick for their catalyst potential, but researchers have developed a stable silicon version – a feat that has been a major challenge until now.

- Accuracy ensured through security-verified internal data, offering visualization via infographics and slides

This research study assessing 23,000 mother-child pairs found that higher maternal depression around the period of birth may impair mother-infant bonding and increases the risk of autism in their daughters.

Study highlights the uniqueness of individual brain functional connectomes as a promising approach to identify biomarkers for major depressive disorder.

Rising day and night temperatures are threatening rice, wheat, and maize production by disrupting plant growth, grain filling, and grain quality, putting global food security at risk. Precision breeding and genome editing offer ways to reprogram plant clocks, optimize flowering and panicle architecture, and protect grain quality under heat stress.

Critical to hydrogen’s widespread adoption as a clean energy source is its storage. Solid-state storage, where hydrogen is absorbed into metals, offers an alternative to high-pressure tanks. Yet hydrogen storage alloys face a trade-off between storage capacity and material stability. Tohoku University researchers discovered that magnetism governs this trade-off, and that by controlling the magnetic properties of alloys, it is possible to workaround this trade-off.

CityUHK economist together with Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences are jointly leading the early childhood research programme China REACH. The study aims to provide a practical, evidence-based framework for reducing educational disparities among rural children. To date, more than 80,000 rural children across diverse regions of China have benefited from the initiative.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have used 3D-printing technology to improve the viral titer of microneedle array patches, resulting in effective immunogenicity and protection against infection in mice

A comprehensive analysis of supersulfide production in fermented soybeans

Researchers in Taiwan demonstrate that installing solar panels above clam ponds can simultaneously support aquaculture and renewable energy under increasing climate stress. Using real-world farm data, the study shows that moderate shading lowers pond temperatures, reduces water demand, and generates clean electricity. This reveals novel, practical synergies across the Water–Energy–Food–Climate–Land nexus.

Using a new method to track groundwater levels and greenhouse gas emissions, researchers uncover the climate impact of Southeast Asia’s peatlands.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a much more efficient way to produce ethylamine - a crucial component for dyes, pharmaceuticals, and more. It all starts with a catalyst.

A new meta-analysis shows that when people eat may be as important as how long they eat. Eating earlier in the day appears to support better metabolic health than eating late, even within time-restricted eating patterns.

We may be closer to unravelling the mystery of how the dry, arid Mars used to be covered in water from new research that focuses on an unexpected event (a powerful dust storm) at an unexpected time (Northern Hemisphere summer).

Nearly 40% of new cancer cases worldwide in 2022 may be associated with modifiable risk factors, according to an analysis of 36 cancer types from 185 countries, published in Nature Medicine. The findings suggest that reducing exposures such as tobacco smoking, certain infections, and alcohol use remains essential for cancer prevention.

When cultivated tobacco is crossed with a wild relative it erases lethal genes, allowing normally fatal hybrids to survive.

Take a dive into the streamlined workflow of DIVE (Descriptive Interpretation of Visual Expression)! DIVE combines multiple AI agents to extract images from about 4,000 scientific publications to propose new materials – all within minutes.