Peer Reviewed

A team of researchers including Kavli IPMU's Valeri Vardanyan and Misao Sasaki have theorized that in addition to the gravitational waves originating from vacuum fluctuations during inflation, a large amount of gravitational waves can be sourced by the quantum vacuum fluctuations of additional fields during inflation.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of planteose: α-Galactosidase is a promising molecular target for root parasitic weed control

A collaborative team led by researchers from Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo uses a single water molecule in a C60 cage to probe quantum mechanics

Researchers from Osaka City University have shown in mice models of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, that the intranasal administration of rifampicin and resveratrol in combination is safer and improves cognitive function more than rifampicin alone. The research results are expected to lead to the development of safe and effective nasal spray for the prevention of dementia.

By searching for the protein transglutaminase 1 (TGM1) among patients with various autoimmune skin diseases, researchers have successfully identified a separate disease that can be linked to autoimmunity against TGM1. This backward method demonstrates a new way of identifying autoantigens as markers for various diseases. By letting autoantigens point to the disease, diagnosis and treatment can be facilitated, according to the study now published in PNAS.

Scientists have identified a series of molecular candidates for those parts of dog allergens that cause immune reactions in people—the first step in developing a vaccine against most causes of dog allergies.

Scientists predict that continued global warming under current trends could lead to an elevation of the sea level by as much as five meters by the year 3000 CE.

To meet the demand for alternative low-cost, sustainable, light weight and strong materials for two wheelers, Dr JS Binoj from Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College India has led a multi-national team to successfully develop a novel riser bar made from jute fibre reinforcing isophthalic polymer composite material.

In a study of 280 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI), researchers investigated the 3-year prognostic impact of frailty evaluated by the Kihon checklist (KCL), a survey originally developed to identify elderly individuals who were at risk of requiring support within the Japanese long-term care insurance system. Results showed that the estimated 3-year mortality rate was significantly higher in individuals who ranked high on the KCL, showcasing the checklist as a simple tool to be used alongside other surgical risk scores, in identifying patients who are too frail to benefit from TAVI

An analysis of the first material brought back to Earth from a carbon-rich asteroid — Ryugu — is presented in two papers published in Nature Astronomy. Carbon-rich asteroids can provide clues about the early history of the Solar System and on the formation of organic and hydrated minerals — the building blocks of life.

Plant responses to climate change may differ above and below ground, according to a paper published in Nature Climate Change.

The discovery of the first millipede with more than 1,000 legs is reported in Scientific Reports this week. Prior to this, no millipede had been found with more than 750 legs.

Researchers are closer to understanding potential common features of sources of oxidative stress observed in several diseases, from Parkinson’s disease to cancer.

In a study published in Nature Energy this month, researchers led by Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) describe how nanodiamond-reinforced composite membranes can purify hydrogen from its humid mixtures, making the hydrogen generation processes vastly more efficient and cost-effective.

Okara, a soybean byproduct, can now be 3D printed without any additives, boosting food sustainability efforts.

Inspired by the ‘Game of Life’ SUTD researchers are applying cellular automation to efficiently model phase change materials with multiple optical phases for next-generation photonics devices.

Zika virus infection hijacks glucose metabolism for its own good and to the detriment of infected foetuses.

A prototype MRI machine that can be built at low cost and produces high quality neuroimaging is reported in Nature Communications. The machine can help provide access to MRI across low- and middle-income countries, as well as at the point of care.

Abundant, safe, and environmentally friendly, tin sulfide is predicted to be used in next generation solar cell panels. Now, a research group has used impurity doping to fabricate n-type conductive tin sulfide thin films, paving the way for their use in solar cells.

Biophysicists in Japan have found ways to make and manipulate capsule-like DNA structures that could be used in the development of artificial molecular systems. Such systems could function, for example, inside the human body.

Asthma sufferers generally find their condition gets worse at night. Now a research group may understand why. Melatonin, a sleep hormone that is sometimes prescribed to treat insomnia, exasperates the constriction of the bronchus - the pathway that moves air to and from your lungs.

A team of astronomers including Kavli IPMU's Ji-an Jiang has discovered the fastest optical flash of a Type Ia supernova.

A new saliva-based COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (ART) technology co-developed by the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre and the National University of Singapore shows promise in early clinical testing, outperforming existing ARTs and delivering results in minutes, with nearly comparable sensitivity to the gold standard Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

Tohoku University researchers have dubbed a newly discovered phenomenon, where microbe-generated gas bubbles create granular fluctuations on the wet sandy floors of waterbodies, the microbial Brazil nut effect.

Scientists at Hokkaido University and Texas A&M University have identified a key mechanism used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to evade host immune systems.

Examination of Japanese cases of gynecological cancer offers a better understanding of the profile of a rare ovarian tumor and could change treatment guidelines.

Two-dimensional materials exhibit highly desirable properties for advanced technologies, such as flexibility, superconductivity and more. Yet the mechanism by which they become has eluded scientists for some time. Through a novel monitoring and analysis method, researchers have revealed a critical mechanism in the development of 2D monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide.

Researchers from the The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use electron energy loss spectroscopy to understand local thermal behavior at grain boundaries in polycrystals

Despite significant advancements in computing technologies, they pale in comparison to the energy efficiency of human brains. Now, researchers from Tohoku University and the University of Gothenburg have developed a new spintronic technology for brain-inspired computing.

Synthesized microrobots that are capable of converting their mechanical motion into a means of self-propulsion in water have been developed by scientists at Hokkaido University.