Japan

A research team led by Osaka University used 125 physical markers to understand the detailed mechanics of 44 different human facial motions. The aim was to better understand how to convey emotions with artificial faces. Beyond helping with the design of robots and androids, this research can also benefit computer graphics, facial recognition, and medical diagnoses.

Microscopes usually use backscattered radiation to create images, but a research group from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, is developing an all-new method to study materials using the faint light they emit, generated by heat

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo study the quantum mechanical phenomenon known as vacuum fluctuations using a nanoscale hybrid device, which may lead to ultrasensitive quantum sensors or information processors.

Osaka University and NEC Corporation are jointly developing a data infrastructure called RED-ONION to accelerate open science by reducing the burden on researchers to record the research process, share research data and publish them on the data aggregation platform. They are currently engaged in the R & D of three elemental technologies: (1) Technology to integrate a data aggregation platform and data publication platform, (2) Technology to generate research process information on supercomputers, and (3) A high-speed data transmission function. These research results will be showcased at the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC23) scheduled to be held from November 12 to 17, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.

Future missions will be able to find signatures of violating the parity-symmetry in the cosmic microwave background polarization more accurately after a pair of researchers has managed to take into account the gravitational lensing effect, reports a new study in Physical Review D, selected as an Editors' Suggestion.

A researcher from Osaka University has investigated the associations between mask usage and the reasons people give for wearing a mask. Online surveys were conducted before and after policies that downgraded the status of COVID-19. The study found that 59% of respondents continued wearing masks even after policy changes. Several sociological and psychological reasons other than disease prevention for mask usage were identified.

To quickly and accurately characterize prospective materials for use in solar energy, researchers built an automated system to perform laboratory experiments and used machine learning to help analyze the data they recorded. Their goal is to identify semiconductor materials for use in photovoltaic solar energy, which are highly efficient and have low toxicity.

Research from Osaka University demonstrates a nanopore-based technique that can detect different variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The method was very effective in detecting the Omicron variant of the virus in the saliva of people with COVID-19.

Research out of Osaka University finds an overlap in the mechanism of hair color determination and bone resorption, which is associated with bone related diseases like osteoporosis. The findings revealed that proteins named Rab32 and Rab38 play pivotal roles in bone resorption in osteoclast, cell specialized in the process. These proteins are also crucial for pigmentation of hair and skins.

Pair-bonded Java sparrows show enlarged eye rings to signal breeding readiness.

Research out of Osaka University investigated the effect of increased cell temperature on the contractility of skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle by heating the muscle proteins using advanced microscopical techniques. The findings indicated that skeletal muscle is more sensitive to increases in temperature than cardiac muscle, and that heating can rapidly activate the contractile proteins of skeletal muscle, thereby improving muscle performance.

A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University has found that polysulfides are abundant in broccoli sprouts. They found that the amount of polysulfides increased dramatically during growth, by an approximately 20-fold in seeds by the fifth day of germination. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the polysulfides detected a number of polysulfide candidates whose structures have not yet been determined. The identification of these unknown polysulfides and detailed analysis of their pharmacological activities are expected to enable the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies and medicines for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, inflammation, and other diseases.

Layered lithium cobalt oxide, a key component of lithium-ion batteries, has been synthesized at temperatures as low as 300°C and durations as short as 30 minutes.

Risk-averse on/off-target assessment for CRISPR editing without reference genome

Evaluation of developmental toxicity in early chicken embryos exposed to tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate

This study examined how the origin (wild or hatchery-reared), feeding area (Baltic Sea mainstem, Bosnian Sea, and Gulf of Finland), and organic halogen compound (OHC) concentrations of Baltic Sea Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) affect the salmon liver proteome, transcriptome, and oxidative stress markers. Results suggest that the Baltic salmon liver proteome, together with the transcriptome, is influenced more by OHC concentrations and oxidative stress levels in the feeding area than by their origin.

Structural characteristics of environmental pollutants and computer simulations predict effects on the endocrine system of seals

A broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidate, 2-thiouridine, that targets positive-strand RNA viruses has been identified and characterized.

A new amphipod species thrives at record temperatures in nearby hot spring pools of an ancient Inca city, defying norms for these typically cold-dwelling animals. Unraveling its key adaptations can give clues for the survival of other freshwater creatures in our warming world.

Researchers from Osaka University developed wirelessly powered soil moisture sensing technology that will help meet the needs of sustainable precision agriculture. Both the soil moisture content and the position of each sensor are readily detected and transmitted, even at high sensor densities. The sensors are largely biodegradable and can be tilled into the soil at the end of the crop season. This work might help farmers allocate resources to cropland in a timely, targeted manner.

The latest ‘large language model’ artificial intelligence system, GPT-4, could aid chemistry researchers, but limitations reveal the need for improvements.

Researchers from Osaka University developed a cell-friendly means of bioprinting at high fidelity. By successive injection of a cell-based ink and a printing support, the ink solidified into defined geometries, even into the shape of a human nose. Printed cells remained viable for at least two weeks. This work is an important milestone toward developing lab-grown tissues and organs, and eventually advancing regenerative medicine as well as animal-free drug safety testing.

A research team led by Osaka University developed a theranostics approach to both diagnose and treat certain pancreatic cancer cases. They radioactively labeled a monoclonal antibody targeting glypican-1, which is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, then administered it to disease model mice. One label, 89Zr, showed high uptake in tumors, which would allow early detection of pancreatic cancer with PET scans. Another label, 211At, was used with alpha therapy to significantly slow tumor growth.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists, in cooperation with researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, have captured cosmic-ray extensive air showers with unprecedented precision using the prime-focus wide field camera mounted on the Subaru Telescope, situated atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Analyzing approximately 17,000 images captured between 2014 and 2020, they pinpointed 13 images containing extensive air showers, with a number of particle tracks far exceeding the usual count.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, synthesize a two-center zinc complex that absorbs visible light as a solid and in solution.

Researchers at Osaka University developed a nanostructured light diffuser that provides balanced lighting by diffracting blue and red light, and can be cleaned by simple rinsing with water. The diffuser consists of cheap materials and can be shaped with common tools. A protective glass coating maintains the diffuser’s optical performance yet adds durability. This work might improve the visual performance of everyday lighting displays.

The International Symposium on Triglyceride/Neutral Lipid and Rare Diseases will be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center on October 21 and 22, 2023. The symposium is organized by the International Symposium on Triglyceride/Neutral Lipid and Rare Diseases Conference Committee, which is led by Dr. Ken-ichi Hirano (Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University) and the Japan Intractable Diseases (Nanbyo) Research Foundation.

Observations during two flybys by the Mio spacecraft as part of the BepiColombo International Mercury Exploration Project have revealed that chorus waves occur quite locally in the dawn sector of Mercury. Mercury's magnetic field is about 1% of that of Earth, and it was unclear whether chorus waves would be generated like on Earth. The present study reveals that the chorus waves are the driving source of Mercury’s X-ray auroras, whose mechanism was not understood.

To extend the depth of field in mask-based lensless cameras, researchers from Osaka University replaced conventionally coded masks with a radial-coded mask optimized to balance the frequency response. As a result, the point spread function depends less on distance, and subjects at various depths can be clearly imaged. Experiments in simulation and on a prototype show that the depth of field of the camera is extended when the proposed radial mask is used.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have used the power of laser light to accelerate the reaction between cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles—a kind of nanoparticle—and antibody-modified microparticles. The three-dimensional structure of the resulting aggregates was then analyzed using a confocal optical system. The results demonstrated the ability to measure, within 5 minutes, approximately 1,000 to 10,000 nanoscale EVs contained in a 500 nL sample.