Health

A Hong Kong Baptist University-led (HKBU) research team has developed a novel drug which has the potential to become a next-generation treatment for cancers associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV).

Vitamin B6 may help calm cytokine storms and unclog blood clots linked to COVID-19's lethality. But research on it is lacking. A Hiroshima University researcher calls on fellow scientists to study its potential role.

This article is an excerpt from the Hokkaido University research magazine “Tackling Global Issues vol.3 Fighting the menace of zoonosis" (link below).

Medical staff and researchers from Tohoku University and Fukushima Medical University conducted a collaborative, multifaceted training program for healthcare workers to better prepare them for disasters. The training incorporated a wide range of subjects such as data analysis, cultural revitalization in the wake of disasters, and post-disaster psychological and physical well-being.

A research team implemented a study based on a program that encouraged elderly patients at care homes in Adachi Ward, Tokyo to participate in activities such as park cleaning, gardening, and shopping. Their results revealed a surprising behavioral change.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis enables high-resolution separation of proteins extracted from biological samples, but it requires more than one day of pretreatment to recover the separated proteins trapped inside the gel for detection by mass spectrometry. BAC-DROP, our novel electrophoresis technology, uses a dissolvable form of polyacrylamide gel, which allows sample pretreatment to be completed in about 5 hours. The developed technology will enable the rapid diagnosis of viruses and disease protein markers.

This article is an excerpt from the Hokkaido University research magazine “Tackling Global Issues vol.3 Fighting the menace of zoonosis" (link below).

This article is an excerpt from the Hokkaido University research magazine “Tackling Global Issues vol.3 Fighting the menace of zoonosis" (link below).

ARN's February newsletter features research about catalyzing plastic recycling, the mental health toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, antiperovskites and oolong tea. In honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we also have tips for addressing gender bias in STEM communications, and inspirational stories about pioneering female scientists from our Giants in History series. Read on...

A brain enzyme activates dormant neural stem cells, revealing how defects in its gene could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.

A research group has created a device that measures how our bodies metabolize fat via our breath, allowing for the development of efficient fat burning exercises.

In a study published in Gastroenterology – Researchers at Osaka City University and The Institute for Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, report the intestinal bacterial and viral metagenome information from the fecal samples of patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). This comprehensive analysis reveals the bacteria and phages involved in pathogenesis in rCDI, and their remarkable pathways important for the recovery of intestinal flora function.

Although genome sequencing has come leaps and bounds over the past 20 years, there did not exist a reference genome specific to the Japanese. That is until now. Researchers at Tohoku University have completed and released the first Japanese reference genome by analyzing the genomes of three Japanese individuals using high coverage, long-read next-generation sequencing technologies.

COVID-19 has led to psychological distress among one in three adults, large-scale meta-analysis by researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, reveals.

A new technique allowed researchers to observe in greater detail how heat alters keratin proteins, helping in their search for ingredients that can prevent heat-damaged hair.

Dental cleaning products made from virgin coconut oil could help prevent tooth decay.

New ‘armoured’ T cells attack cancer without being suppressed by drugs given to transplant patients to avoid organ rejection.

Researchers at the International Islamic University Malaysia have developed an electrospun nanofiber made from agarwood leaf extract.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered a group of neurons in the mouse brainstem that control muscle tone. Inhibiting these neuronal cells caused mice to move during REM sleep, reminiscent of REM sleep behavior disorders. These neurons were also responsible for episodes of cataplexy in a mouse model of narcolepsy; inhibiting them reduced the number of cataplexic bouts. These circuits could thus be a new target for treating these sleep disorders.

Researchers led by the University of Tsukuba find that drinking two cups of oolong tea a day can stimulate fat breakdown while you sleep.

Researchers at WPI-IIIS find that normal sleep in mice depends on bacteria that help make neurotransmitters such as serotonin in the gut. The article, “Gut microbiota depletion by chronic antibiotic treatment alters the sleep/wake architecture and sleep EEG power spectra in mice,” was published in Scientific Reports.

A stress response of mitochondria, the part of our cells that produce energy to power bodily functions, is important to a longer life. A team of scientists from Osaka City University, Japan, searched through a chemical “library” of existing drugs to find one that can activate this stress response in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. They found that an anti-hypertension drug called metolazone prolongs C. elegans lifespan, marking the first step in developing anti-aging pharmaceuticals.

Hokkaido University is pleased to announce the publication of "Tackling Global Issues Vol. 3 FIGHTING THE MENACE OF ZOONOSES," a magazine the University’s research on zoonotic and other infectious diseases.

“Superbug” resistant to strong antibiotics is a ticking time bomb in global public health. A joint study led by a scientist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has traced the potential origin of an antibiotic resistance gene and identified a type of bacteria as the possible source. The team also studied the gene’s transmission mechanisms and published their findings recently, in the hope of blocking its transmission.

Osaka City University shows carrot-based Japanese herbal medicine “Ninjin’yoeito” helps recover muscle fibers in mice.

IIUM psychiatrist Ramli Musa has developed a website that is helping Malaysians improve their understanding of mental health and assess their levels of anxiety.

Materials that convert mechanical into electrical or magnetic energy could open the door to a future of wearable and structure-integrated virus sensors.

An easy way to make millirobots by coating objects with a glue-like magnetic spray was developed in a joint research led by a scientist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU). Driven by the magnetic field, the coated objects can crawl, walk, or roll on different surfaces. As the magnetic coating is biocompatible and can be disintegrated into powders when needed, this technology demonstrates the potential for biomedical applications, including catheter navigation and drug delivery.

A research team, affiliated with the Korea Genomics Center (KOGIC) at UNIST has released data from the initial phase of the Korean Genome Project (Korea1K), including information describing 1,094 whole genomes, along with 79 quantitative clinical traits.

A research team, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has succeeded in unveiling the principle behind the changing sleep patterns, according to the ambient temperature, through the use of Drosophila as a model of sleep.