Japan

Researchers at Kanazawa University in collaboration with teams from Toyama Prefectural University and BioSeeds Corporation report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces the identification of a molecule with enhanced antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. The underlying biomolecular mechanism is the inhibition of an enzyme that is overproduced in several types of cancer.

Potential of a novel therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis by UHRF1 stabilization We identified an epigenetic regulator UHRF1 that suppresses various pathogeneses in rheumatoid arthritis. The UHRF1 expression level in synovium showed a negative correlation with the severity of pathogenesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and mouse arthritis models. In addition, stabilization of the UHRF1 expression achieved improvement of the arthritis pathology. Our results indicate that the stabilization of the UHRF1 protein is a potential therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo studied the anomalous properties of amorphous solids, including glasses, using computer simulations, and found a common vibrational mechanism underlying them, which may help control the glass properties

Researchers have created time machine-like simulations recreate the full life cycle of some of the largest collections of galaxies observed in the distant universe 11 billion years ago.

Scientists have revealed two enzymes that regulate protein degradation of proteins in the cell membrane of plants, and established the roles they play in plant growth and development.

A research team has studied how humans react to the introduction of AI decision making. Specifically, they explored the question, “is society ready for AI ethical decision making?” by studying human interaction with autonomous cars.

Tetraphenylammonium, with all four hydrogens of ammonium (NH4+) replaced with benzene rings, has neither been discovered in nature nor chemically synthesized, calling into question whether it could exist. Here, we succeeded in synthesizing tetraphenylammonium for the first time, demonstrating its stable existence. The synthetic strategy used in this study, radical coupling, may be applicable to the synthesis of various related ammoniums with high structural novelty.

Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University utilized a Japan-developed, objective, and simple nutritional indicator called the Nutrition Risk Index (NRI) to unveil a long-suspected yet unverified relationship between sarcopenia and malnutrition in end-stage kidney disease patients. Their findings confirmed that malnutrition contributes to sarcopenia, which can be detected through NRI.

Scientists have described the youngest therizinosaur fossil from Japan and the first in Asia to have been found in marine sediments.

Dr. Nishikawa at Osaka Metropolitan University focused on the Kondo effect on minimal ferrimagnetism and attempted to elucidate it theoretically. As a result, they found that the Kondo effect occurred via multiple "quantum entangled states" depending on temperature and other factors. They also found that the Kondo effect suppressed electrical conductivity through minimal ferrimagnetism, when usually it is amplified in many other cases.

Particle accelerators have helped researcher to draw new leading limits on the existence of magnetic monopoles from the collisions of energetic cosmic rays bombarding the Earth’s atmosphere.

Researchers in Japan demonstrated the benefits of a new non-radioactive, neutral negative staining reagent by imaging viruses at nanometer-scale.

Among anesthetics, ketamine has a unique effect: it also acts as an antidepressant. A research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University Professor Makoto Kondo linked ketamine to brain regulation of IGF-1, which works independently of other ketamine-associated factors. The discovery may help untangle ketamine’s positive and negative effects, allowing future drug development to target IGF-1 directly.

A model that rapidly searches through large numbers of materials could find sustainable alternatives to existing composites.

The antibiotic rifampicin is shown as a potential medicine for preventing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Scientists have synthesized the first belt-shaped molecular nanocarbon with a twisted Möbius band topology—a Möbius carbon nanobelt—that paves the way for the development of nanocarbon materials with complex topological structures.

Structural color printing creates new pathways for medical diagnostics and miniaturized sensors

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) secreted from sensory neuron-interneuron crosstalk is key to the spreading of inflammation across joints, acting as a neurotransmitter and inflammation enhancer.

Researchers from the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Engineering have successfully developed a new technique allowing them to observe gas molecules packing into metal-organic frameworks (MOF) using infrared spectroscopy. Their innovation was to measure polarized light absorption of guest molecules in a MOF film to deduce molecule alignment using this common piece of lab equipment. This method is the first to show guest alignment and does so in real-time, while using an accessible and easily adoptable experimental setup. A short video (4 min) recreating their spectrometer modifications can be found in the Reference section.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, develop a novel method for more accurate prediction of local rainfall patterns

The new multi-tasking weather sensor simultaneously measures rain volume and wind speed. Incorporating machine learning to analyze the output data, a single sensor can provide localized weather data in a timely manner, improving disaster preparedness.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University and Osaka University used numerical simulations to confirm observations of quantized vortices in superfluid helium using silicon nanoparticles, improving understanding of quantum fluids and superconductors.

Strokes have a debilitating effect on quality of life; the combination of cognitive and physical effects can be especially devastating. A new study from Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science showed that moderate to severe hand and arm paralysis was dramatically improved with the use of robotic therapy, for chronic stroke patients with upper extremity hemiplegia in Japan, as reported in the journal Stroke.

2.5-dimensional materials promise new applications for artificial intelligence, electronics, automobiles and the energy sector.

Hokkaido University researchers have shown how chronic pain leads to maladaptive anxiety in mice, with implications for treatment of chronic pain-related psychiatric disorders in humans.

Researchers set out to find new ways to artificially induce mRNA to respond in ways that could eventually lead to therapeutic outcomes, expanding on the success of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and opening up new possibilities across a host of possible genetic therapies.

Using muonic x-rays from a high-energy accelerator and a technology used for astronomical observations, researchers can now see the elemental makeup of sensitive samples without damaging them.

Researchers overcome computational limitations to predict the starting materials of multi-step reactions using only information about the target product molecule.

Examination of endangered species’ stem cells unveils ancient genetic links between mammals.

A recent infant study suggests that the visual experience in daily life contributes to the emergence of upper visual field bias for faces.