Health

Invasive Flowerhorn cichlids threaten Lake Sampaloc’s native fish, aquaculture, and public health, Ateneo researchers warn.

Researchers at the University of Osaka developed the CLiB assay, a high-throughput platform to engineer protein-based lipid-binding probes. By screening a library of protein variants, they created a highly sensitive probe for the signaling lipid PI(3,5)P2. This tool allowed the team to visualize how cells remodel their membranes to engulf damaged materials, providing a framework for developing next-generation biosensors and unlocking new insights into the dynamic landscape of biological membranes.

Study across five periods of the COVID-19 pandemic reveals changing long COVID patterns and the need for continued support

• Duke-NUS study finds the Nutri-Grade initiative, comprising labels that indicate how healthy drinks are, to be effective at creating behavioural change. • The study shows that households reduced purchases of sugar from pre-packaged beverages by 18%, while purchases of less healthy beverages dropped by 44 per cent. • In response, manufacturers reformulated their drinks and lowered sugar content by 21 per cent.

Hiroshima University researchers use the previous 20 years of data to project what the currently implemented treatment and management strategy does for the HBV and HCV cases in 2050.

The art of Japanese flower arrangement, known as Ikebana, is not only pleasing to the eye but pleasing to the mind. Studies have shown that it promotes creativity and mindfulness. However, ikebana is not a hobby for the faint-hearted. It takes many hours of apprenticeship with an experienced instructor. With instructor numbers on the decline as well, the mental benefits of ikebana seem more inaccessible than ever. However, a research group has developed a new augmented reality system called HanaARange that provides visual guidance whilst students practice on physical flowers.

Neural Drive, founded by SUTD first-year student Mohammed Khambhati Huzefa, has raised US$250,000 (S$325,000) in pre-seed funding from Afore Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm

Nearly eight in 10 adults in Singapore living with anxiety or depression have not sought professional help. Yet, most are open to peer support, highlighting the potential of community-based mental health intervention.

A research group led by Dr. Keiko Ueno, Assistant Professor at the Innovative Clinical Research Center, Kanazawa University, has revealed the status of collaboration between fire-based emergency medical service (EMS) agencies *1) and community-based long-term care *2), welfare *3), and health organizations *4) in Japan. The study identified six key practical measures essential for building a collaborative model that sustains long-term coordination between medical care and social support needs.

Mechanoluminescent materials, which convert mechanical energy into light, are great for self-powered sensors. However, they have traditionally been made using rare earth materials or complex material compositions, making them relatively expensive to manufacture. Now, a research team has developed a zinc oxide material that not only possesses highly sensitive mechanoluminescence but is made from cheap, earth-abundant materials.

A research group led by Professor Katsuhiro Ichikawa (Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University) and Professor Kaoru Tada (Faculty of Health Sciences / Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital) has successfully developed an ultra-high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system dedicated to extremities, achieving approximately five times higher spatial resolution than conventional X-ray CT systems (voxel size: 0.08–0.10 mm).

Based on their 18-year long cohort study, researchers at Tohoku University have found which depressive symptoms have the most impact on the “healthspan” (remaining years of healthy living) of older adults, and how this differs for men compared to women.

Researchers investigated the prevalence of an emerging foodborne disease-causing bacterium in wild raccoons and environmental water. They found genetic similarities between the strains found in both, suggesting possible transmission between wildlife and water. Genomic analyses of samples taken from the raccoons showed that many strains found in the animals carried virulence genes associated with diarrhea outbreaks in humans.

A nationwide study tracking Japanese adults before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic found that health-related quality of life steadily declined over seven years and did not rebound after the public health emergency ended. Researchers say the decline may reflect the cumulative impact of pandemic-related changes in physical activity, mental well-being, and social interaction among working-age adults across Japan.

Physician-scientists at Kanazawa University have demonstrated, for the first time worldwide, the clinical efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy in patients with ultra-rare urachal cancer. Furthermore, their reverse translational research elucidated the mechanism by which the addition of immunotherapy enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy.

Pinpointing associated factors that contribute to injury in older adults

Does a depressive mood inevitably lead to more pessimistic thinking or over-analysing? A global meta-analysis, the largest of its kind examining the relationship between a depressive mood and reality judgment, co-conducted by the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University has found that the key lies in the nature of the judgment. Overall, individuals in a depressive mood generally make more accurate judgments when handling self-referent tasks or complex issues requiring deep analysis. However, their accuracy is impaired as regards understanding others and interpreting interpersonal relationships. Researchers noted that the findings clarify a decades-long academic debate in psychology regarding whether a depressive mood allows individuals to perceive reality more objectively, and will aid in designing more targeted intervention strategies. The paper was published in Clinical Psychology Review, a top international academic journal in clinical psychology.

Hiroshima University researchers say a newly proposed three-step “detour” pathway for making dolichol, a molecule cells need to properly process proteins, may be more universal than scientists realized. Experiments in yeast suggest eukaryotes may rely on overlapping biochemical pathways, including the evolutionarily conserved “detour” and evidence of a possible “backup route,” to produce a molecule essential to life.

Patients with stroke undergoing inpatient rehabilitation differ in how sedentary time accumulates and changes over one month.

PHABCON 2026, advanced research on human-animal bonds as pathways to healing, care, and connection.

To understand how parenting styles influence adolescent mental health, the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University, collaborating with researchers from the School of Psychology of South China Normal University and the Department of Applied Psychology of Guangdong University of Education, conducted a one-year longitudinal study. The research findings show that when parents use psychological control to manage their children, such as forcing compliance through guilt induction or love withdrawal, a tactic widely regarded as emotional blackmail, this can impair an adolescent’s capacity to regulate their emotions. This then exacerbates depressive symptoms and heightens the risk of self-harm, particularly in girls. Researchers point out that preventing adolescent self-harm requires not only addressing individual emotional issues but also improving family dynamics. The study was published in the international academic journal “Child Psychiatry & Human Development”.

Scientists from National Taiwan University and St. Paul’s Hospital have demonstrated how AI can leverage routine chest X-rays to detect asymptomatic bone loss, closing critical gaps in screening healthy Asian populations.

Diet and homocysteine may influence fatigue and motivation

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that the rat brain differs from other mammals in the proportion of upper and deep layer neurons in the cortex. This change likely arises from differences in the timing of signaling pathways during early brain development. Importantly, this identified mechanism may have future applications in regenerative medicine for developmental and neurological disorders.

Researchers studied 23 cases of oral cancer with a burrowing growth pattern and found that rare carcinoma cuniculatum has a unique genetic fingerprint. The research found genetic alterations in FAT1, NOTCH1, PIK3CA, and CASP8, suggesting a potential explanation for its slow growth and favorable prognosis. These findings suggest that genetic testing could improve diagnosis and inform treatment decisions in oral cancer.

Real time data collected during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake response show that unclear tasks and command structures, and lack of meal- and rest breaks increased self-reported fatigue among disaster responders.

Position of a RELA mutation can shape symptoms, severity and treatment response

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that only a small subset of tumor-killing T cells undergoes extensive expansion during immunotherapy for multiple myeloma. By tracking individual cells, the team showed that the T-cell clones that later became dominant had already begun expanding shortly after the treatment started. The findings also suggest that highly proliferative immune cells show lower levels of exhaustion-related markers, offering new insights into why some patients respond better to immunotherapy.

To understand their awareness of and interest in the Chinese tea culture, the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies at Lingnan University conducted a public opinion survey and analysis of the tea consumption habits of young people in the Hong Kong SAR. The findings show that more than three quarters of respondents drink Chinese tea regularly. However, as many as half also drink “flavoured tea” with sugar, floral flavours or milk frequently. The proportion of young people who drink tea regularly was significantly higher than soft and speciality drinks, although more than one third were unfamiliar with the health benefits of tea. Scholars point out that parents exert a strong influence on young people’s tea-drinking habits and suggest that different sectors of society might organise intergenerational activities to pass the Chinese tea culture on to younger generations.