Japan

Some mixed halogenated dioxins are more toxic than TCDD

Using a quantum computer, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers utilized quantum logic circuits to directly calculate, in a single calculation, the energy difference between two molecular geometries. The developed method was then applied to execute the molecular geometry optimization of typical molecular systems. On a classical computer, calculations based on the finite difference method require at least two evaluations of the energy for one-dimensional systems, but previous research has shown that a quantum computer can be used to calculate the energy derivatives based on this method in a single calculation. However, quantum circuits relevant to quantum algorithms capable of performing the energy derivative calculations had not been implemented. The research group has successfully created a quantum circuit to calculate the energy derivatives by modifying the quantum circuit used in the previously developed quantum phase difference estimation algorithm.

Kavli IPMU's Jia Liu is part of team which found the number of astronomy research papers being produced increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number of new or junior researchers entering the field has dropped, and no single country's female astronomers were able to be more productive than their male colleagues on average.

The Sox9 gene is upregulated in the absence of sex-determining Y chromosome and Sry gene in Amami spiny rat.

Researchers led by Osaka University identified plasma proteins associated with critical pathogenesis in COVID-19. Using a novel blood proteomics method, the researchers evaluated two discovery cohorts and one validation cohort of patients with COVID-19 and healthy volunteers. Cell adhesion proteins WFDC2, GDF15, CHI3L1, and KRT19 were shown to be associated with disease severity in patients with COVID-19, and may serve as potential targets for therapies to treat COVID-19 infection.

A research group at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Science has revealed a new system that allows them to control the behavior of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, using two different animal opsins, a type of light-sensitive protein. The first opsin was expressed in the worms’ sensory cells responsible for triggering avoidance behavior, making the worms move. This opsin was found to be approximately 7,000 times more sensitive to white light than the commonly used optogenetic protein channelrhodopsin-2. Likewise, a UV-sensitive opsin was expressed in the worms’ motor neurons, causing the worms to stop when exposed to UV light and start moving again when exposed to green light. Both opsins tested can be switched on and off repeatedly without breaking down, making them robust tools for future research, including the field of drug discovery.

A research team at Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) piezoelectric vibration energy harvester, which is only about 2 cm in diameter with a U-shaped metal vibration amplification component. The device allows for an increase of approximately 90 times in the power generation performance from impulsive vibration. Since the power generation performance can be improved without increasing the device size, the technology is expected to generate power to drive small wearable devices from non-steady vibrations, such as walking motion.

A new model explains that water evaporating from the Arctic Ocean due to a warming climate is transported south and can lead to increased snowfall in northern Eurasia in late autumn and early winter. This information will allow for more accurate predictions of severe weather events.

An Osaka Metropolitan University study found that differences in culture affect when Japanese and American university students feel comfortable providing social support. The researchers found that Japanese university students were less likely than American students to offer assistance to a close friend or family member unless they had been explicitly asked for help, even when they knew that the person needed assistance. There were no differences in providing assistance between Japanese and American students when requests for help were explicitly stated.

The research team investigated the role of D-amino acids in severe viral infection. Mouse models of influenza A and COVID-19 infection and patients with severe COVID-19 demonstrated reduced D-amino acid levels in the blood. Supplementation with D-alanine mitigated body weight reduction in IAV model mice and improved survival in COVID-19 model mice. D-amino acids may represent potential biomarkers and therapeutic agents for the treatment of severe viral infection.

New study finds that "HUG Your Baby" — a program developed to help parents understand their baby’s behavior — could help reduce postpartum depression in mothers.

Intestinal bacteria composition is crucial to driving the recovery of neutrophils counts in the blood of mice following treatments such as stem cell transplants or chemotherapy.

Theory-guided development of an easier, more versatile process for synthesizing unsymmetric ligands provides new avenues of exploration in transitional metal catalysis.

Study can help to assess effectiveness of Minamata Convention on Mercury

Researchers led by the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo develop a novel method for measuring seafloor movement

Disturbed transmission via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in chick fetuses impairs the hatchlings’ preference for animate objects—similar to what is seen in autism spectrum disorder in humans.

Osaka University researchers simplified the process of producing soft microrobots powered by biomolecular motor muscles by 3D-printing the constituent modules, including actuators and grabbers, in situ. This work may lead to significant advances in scalable production and microsurgery.

Researchers led by Osaka University have shown that a molecule known as ATAD3A is essential for the movement of genetic material inside cellular substructures called mitochondria. Appropriate distribution of this DNA, organized into “nucleoid” structures, is key for the generation of energy by the “respiratory chain” protein complex. This study opens up opportunities for developing new methods to alter nucleoid movement and affect mitochondrial function, thereby providing potential therapies against mitochondrial diseases.

Microplastics already at the bottom of Beppu Bay by 1960!

Muon non-destructive analysis of Asteroid Ryugu revealed the raw materials of solid matter at the outer regions of the early solar system. The samples contain less oxygen relative to silicon than typical CI chondrites, indicating that previous CI chondrite samples may have been contaminated by terrestrial materials, thus redefining the standard elemental composition of solid materials in the solar system.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, researchers from Kanazawa University use high-speed microscopy to capture the dynamics of nanosized sacs released from cells.

The international collaboration developing the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), which includes Kavli IPMU and more than 20 collaborating institutions, has marked a significant testing milestone by successfully taking spectra of targeted stars.

Research proposes “hybrid balancing,” a novel framework for studying the complex power dynamics between China, the U.S., and its allies bordering the Pacific Ocean.

A novel branched lipid that has a high stability in storage and a high efficiency in the delivery of mRNA to cells has been developed.

Researchers from Osaka University have improved the electrical interconnects that are essential features of advanced printed circuit boards. By eliminating the accumulation of hydrogen nanobubbles at the copper–copper interface, the connection is more regular compared with that from the traditional interconnect fabrication method. This work will improve the reliability of high-density circuitry that's foundational to the long life of modern electronics.

Injury from falls lowers healthy life expectancy and quality of life, especially for older people. In Japan, patients discharged from acute care hospitals have higher incidences of falls. These falls occur more often indoors in places used frequently in daily life. A group of Osaka Metropolitan University researchers conducted a 6-month follow-up survey, after discharge from an acute care hospital, on falls and near-falls, of orthopedic disease patients with a fall history aged 65 or older. The results suggest that preventive intervention instructing patients using their home floor plans may help prevent falls during the early post-discharge period.

A flipping action in a porous material facilitates the passage of normal water to separate it out from heavy water.

Researchers from Osaka University and Dusseldorf University have found a new theranostic compound that effectively shrinks prostate tumor in mice. Theranostics is a cancer treatment that involves finding cancer cells anywhere in the body and delivering targeted radiation to kill those cells, by drugs that contain radioactive isotopes. It means that this compound could be a promising option for treating hormone-resistant metastases in patients with recurrent cancers. This is stated to be tested in an upcoming clinical trial.

Comprehensive characterization of halogenated flame retardants and organophosphate esters in settled dust from informal e-waste and end-of-life vehicle processing sites

In a study recently published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers from Kanazawa University use a method called “lasso-grafting” to design therapeutics with enhanced longevity and brain penetration.