Japan

New research identifies a unique way that people find connection in the modern world and provides novel insight into the fields of anthropomorphism, virtual interactions, and relationship science.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists conducted a 7-year study on seedling recruitment and mortality in a national park in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. During the study period, an extremely strong El Niño event occurred, leading to a stronger and longer drought than normal. Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), which experience an annual dry season, are considered drought-tolerant. Nevertheless, the study found that seedling mortality increased in SDTFs when severe and prolonged drought occurred. The mortality rate was greater in evergreen forests at higher elevations that usually experience less severe drought than in deciduous forests at lower elevations where severe drought is more common. The study results advance the understanding of the effects of El Niño on seedling dynamics in SDTFs.

Giants in History: Shinichiro Tomonaga (31 March 1906 – 8 July 1979), together with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, for their contributions to advance the field of quantum electrodynamics.

Researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for a novel molecular hydrogen production method that bypasses the need for expensive purification steps. They developed a system where hydrogen is separated and stored in liquid organic hydrogen carriers by catalysis of triaryl boranes in one seamless process. The results of this work will help facilitate the transition to a hydrogen-based economy that is necessary for a more sustainable future.

Plastic sheets coated with an Eu3+ film that converts UV light to red light were able to accelerate growth of vegetal plants and trees.

Asbestos is a toxic substance that is found in older buildings, as well as in cosmetics and products for children. As testing for its presence can be problematic, Hiroshima University Professor Akio Kuroda has been working on a novel solution.

Researchers from The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) at Osaka University and collaborating partners prepared hierarchical hydrogels and moldings that consisted of anisotropic, ecofriendly cellulose nanofibers. By simply tailoring the applied voltage during fabrication, complex architectures—such as microneedles and multilayer hydrogels—were easy to prepare. The results of this work will reduce the need for petroleum-based plastics, and in so doing minimize a long-standing source of environmentally persistent waste.

Making complex polymers with precisely controlled structures becomes much simpler thanks to a new ‘one-pot-and-one-step’ synthesis procedure.

Investigations in Japan have uncovered some molecular mechanisms behind mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic heart failure.

Osaka University researchers showed that the predictions of Einstein’s theory of special relativity in electromagnetism could be detected in the contraction of the electric field created by ultrafast electrons. By achieving femtosecond resolution, they were able to visualize the contracted electric field for the first time. This work can be applicable to particle accelerators and high-energy physics.

An Osaka Metropolitan University researcher has provided a review article regarding INSL3, a circulating hormone secreted from the gonads, in domestic animals, in comparison to rodents and humans. In this review article, the author describes his research group’s work that (1) developed immunoassays, for the first time, that can measure circulating INSL3 in multiple domestic mammals, including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, and dogs, (2) provided evidence in studies with bulls and bucks that INSL3 offers more reliable and stable values by a single blood collection than testosterone, a conventional and well-known testicular hormone, and (3) suggested that blood INSL3 concentrations would be a good biomarker for testicular and reproductive functions in normal and abnormal male domestic animals. These findings suggest that the INSL3 assay might simplify the evaluation of reproductive functions in various male domestic animals. In particular, the assay method may facilitate earlier selection of valuable male animals such as beef sire bulls (Image) with higher reproductive performance, contributing to reductions in the labor and costs required for sire production.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers interviewed active para-athletes with lower-limb disabilities who compete at an international level, about diet and nutrition. The research team found that what para-athletes considered an ideal diet was not necessarily optimized for improving athletic performance, and even when para-athletes understood diets geared towards athletic performance, characteristics of their disabilities impose barriers to implementing dietary changes. Understanding these concerns and struggles is important for nutritionists who support para-athletes in sports nutrition.

Scientists have uncovered new details of how ice forming below the ocean surface in Antarctica provides cold dense water that sinks to the seabed in an important aspect of global water circulation.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers conducted a study of human mobility to find effective lifestyle changes that enable people to exist with the novel coronavirus COVID-19, while maintaining social and economic activities. They found that restricting the human mobility in specific areas according to the state of the pandemic, rather than uniformly controlling human mobility, could be effective in reducing the number of new COVID-19 infections.

Pyroxenes are a major group of rock-forming minerals. Osaka Metropolitan University scientists investigated the iron ion status of a calcium-rich pyroxene, using Mössbauer spectroscopy on thin sections of single crystals. The study revealed that in pyroxene crystals consisting of roughly 50% calcium, the tensor that determines the ratios of iron ions at the Mössbauer spectral peaks in the M1 sites—one of two types of cation positions in the pyroxene crystal structure—is independent of the iron content but dependent on the calcium content. The research findings have clarified one of the physical properties of pyroxenes, facilitating detailed future analysis of iron using Mössbauer spectroscopy on mineral flakes.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have created intermetallic alloy nanoparticles of palladium and zinc with an alternating arrangement of zinc and palladium atoms. The intermetallic alloy is more corrosion-resistant than substitutional alloys while retaining the electrocatalytic properties of both metals, which could be useful for developing new non-precious metal electrocatalysts.

Researchers develop a ground-breaking model to estimate bait vaccination effectiveness in wild animals based on the proportion of immunized animals in a population and the number of vaccine applications.

A long-term experiment aboard the International Space Station has tested the effect of space radiation on mouse embryonic stem cells. Their findings will contribute to helping scientists better assess the safety and risks related to space radiation for future human space flights. The findings are published in the journal Heliyon.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a way of printing edible QR codes—a kind of barcode—within cookies, meaning that the tag is embedded within the food itself. Crucially, the tag doesn’t change the flavor or outer appearance of the cookie, and can be read using a backlight while the cookie remains intact. This new method has great commercial potential for improving food safety and traceability in an environmentally friendly way.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a skin-like device to measure brain activity via electroencephalography, which uses electrodes to measure electrical activity on the scalp (reflecting underlying brain activity). The device has other useful applications, such as measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Wearable devices that can remotely assess brain health in everyday settings are likely to improve healthcare for millions of people worldwide.

Chemists in Japan, Canada and Europe have uncovered flaws in the surface structure of cellulose nanocrystals—an important step toward deconstructing cellulose to produce renewable nano-materials relevant to biochemical products, energy solutions, and biofuels.

Researchers from Osaka University have shown that deficiency of the protein Favine can lead to accelerated development of atherosclerosis. Loss of Favine in a mouse atherosclerosis model also led to calcification and thrombus development in the blood vessels of the mice. Prior to this, no mouse models for calcification or thrombus formation existed, hindering atherosclerosis research. This work also identifies Favine and its downstream signaling pathway, known as MEF2C-KLF2, as potential therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.

Researchers from Osaka University have found that the Vibrio cholerae colonization factor TcpF forms a flower-shaped trimer to specifically bind to the minor pilus protein TcpB resulting in secretion by the type 4 pilus secretion system into the extracellular space. This finding could help lead to the development of a novel anti-adhesive drug that selectively interrupts the TcpF-TcpB interaction, which may replace antibiotics in the treatment of cholera.

A new material is set to provide us with faster and higher resolution displays. Hokkaido University researchers could explain what makes this material so special, opening the door to its application and further development.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a computational analysis tool called CAPITAL for comparative analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data with complicated branching trajectories. As cells undergo a dynamic process, they can be placed on a “pseudotime trajectory” to analyze the gene expression changes throughout the process. While previously only straightforward linear trajectories could be compared, CAPITAL is proven to be able to accurately compare branching trajectories, significantly advancing the field of high-throughput single-cell sequencing.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have created a novel thermoresponsive polymer by adding divalent cations to polymers and water solvents. They also succeeded in controlling thermoresponsive properties by changing the type and mixing ratio of ionic species. This new polymer type is expected to be applied as an analytical reagent for ion-sensing devices and as a material for drug delivery systems.

Giants in History: Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

—For acceleration of social implementation of wastewater-based epidemiology—

A study in Japan finds antibody response to the Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine does not vary depending on the time of day when the dose was received.

Osaka University researchers developed a power generation system based on osmotic flow of ions through a membrane riddled with tiny nanopores. By optimizing the size and distribution of the pores, the team demonstrated a way to obtain clean energy from the oceans.