Scientific Reports

A new drug delivery system delivers an antioxidant directly to mitochondria in the liver, mitigating the effects of oxidative stress.

Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.

A research group from Osaka Metropolitan University investigated the relationship between tobacco use, including heated tobacco products, with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. The researchers administered an online survey of living conditions in February 2022 to 30,130 participants aged 16-81 years, finding that heated tobacco product users had significantly higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to non-tobacco users. Furthermore, the research group found that among all tobacco users, those who used both heated tobacco products and traditional cigarettes had the highest incidence of requiring hospitalization or oxygen due to COVID-19.

Tohoku University researchers have discovered that softer gums hinder the development of gingiva fibroblasts – the cells that help produce the fibers that hold our teeth in place.

Researchers in Sarawak, Malaysia, measured the immunity responses of people who received different COVID-19 vaccines.

Brain shrinkage patterns tied to low trust have links to depression vulnerability that can alert to its early detection even before symptoms appear.

A research group from the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine conducted a survey of 285 patients regarding the long-term aftereffects of COVID-19. As a result, they revealed that more than half of COVID-19 patients still had residual symptoms, even close to a year afterward. It became clear that fatigue, abnormalities in senses of taste and smell, hair loss, and sleep disorders could persist, regardless of the severity of the initial COVID-19.

Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.

To clarify the mechanism of serial dependence in number perception, a research team from Osaka Metropolitan University conducted two tests, independently asking subjects to estimate the number of coins, or to estimate the value of those coins, shown on-screen for half a second. The results showed that serial dependence was confirmed in both tasks and that the most significant effect on serial dependence was not caused by the last stimuli, but the subjects last response. These results indicate that higher-order cognitive processing has a greater influence on the occurrence of serial dependence.

Team studies discrimination, mental distress, and work impairment in COVID-19 survivors.

Reef corals provide an accurate, high-resolution record of the influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation on rainfall, flooding and droughts in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam.

Magnetic nozzle plasma thrusters are thought of as the future of space travel. But one problem has hampered their development – plasma detachment. A recent study has shown that spontaneously excited plasma waves help magnetic nozzles overcome the plasma detachment problem, a rare instance of plasma instabilities having a positive effect on engineering.

Space missions already use electric propulsion devices, where electromagnetic fields are utilized to generate the thrust of spacecraft. One such electrodeless device, which harnesses radio frequency (rf) to generate plasma and a magnetic nozzle (MN) to channel and accelerate plasma, has shown immense promise in pushing the boundaries of space travel. But scientists have so far failed to achieve efficient conversion of the rf power to thrust energy. Now, a Tohoku University researcher has achieved a 30% conversion efficiency, the biggest rate to date.

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

Low concentrations of cetylpyridinium chloride, an antimicrobial agent present in mouthwashes, inhibit the infectivity of four variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Osaka University researchers showed how to use laser beam interference to construct chiral structures. By using computer simulations, they were able to predict the final light pattern and optical radiation force distribution of any collection of light sources. This work may lead to cheaper optical devices and sensors.

Demonstration of embodied cognition mechanisms in the brain could have implications for artificial intelligence.

Researchers study sex-determination in birds using primordial germ cells and RNA-sequencing analysis.

When the evolution of towns and of roads are modeled together, the natural landscape alone is enough to predict the actual arrangement of real towns.

Osaka University researchers designed a silicon-based agent that successfully generated hydrogen continuously in the mouse gastrointestinal tract in an ulcerative colitis (UC) model. The hydrogen served as an antioxidant that could eliminate the reactive oxygen species shown to induce the chronic inflammation responsible for the damage and symptoms caused by UC. Mice given the agent had reduced hemorrhage, inflammation, and hyperexcitability in the brain area associated with visceral pain and discomfort. These results may help with the development of a novel treatment for UC.

Methane emitted from cows is a significant source of greenhouse emissions. Now, a collaborative project has used biomarkers to tell us more about the metabolic and nutritional characteristics linked to enteric methane emissions in Japanese Black cattle.

Solar panels often get a bad rap for spoiling the appearance of homes and businesses. Yet, a research group has fabricated a highly transparent solar cell with a 2D atomic sheet. These near-invisible solar cells achieved an average visible transparency of 79%, meaning they can, in theory, be placed everywhere—building windows, the front panel of cars, and even human skin.

A research group has successfully synthesized a ‘half-metal’ material, achieving a rare feat in the pursuit of zero magnetization. The new material will enhance the performance of electronic devices thanks to the unique behavior of its spin.

Researchers report a new, minimally invasive, antibody-based detection method for SARS-CoV-2 that could lead to the blood sample-free detection of many diseases

A research team led by Osaka University realized magnetic reconnection driven by electron dynamics in laser-produced plasmas and measured the pure electron outflows. Their findings will be applied not only to space and astrophysical plasmas, but also to magnetic propulsion and fusion plasmas.

Osaka University researchers studied the effect of the “attitudes” of a semi-autonomous telepresence robot on its human operator. They found that when a person controlled only a part of the body of a semi-autonomous robot, its expressed opinions affected him or her. This work may help assist in the development of new semi-autonomous robots to perform labor more efficiently.

Automation in disease diagnosis is reliant on deep learning models that can accurately and efficiently identify measurements of tumors, tissue volume, or other sorts of abnormalities. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have unveiled a new, resource-light model capable of identifying many common eye diseases.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have developed a model to explore carbon storage in mangrove forests.

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

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