Science

− The European Commission Approved QDENGA (TAK-003) for Use in Individuals Four Years of Age and Older [i] − QDENGA Becomes the Only Dengue Vaccine Approved in the EU for Use in Individuals Regardless of Previous Dengue Exposure [i]

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.

World's first research into relationship between rich-in-biodiversity garden greenery and health/well-being launched by University of Tokyo and Sekisui House Ltd.

Automated reaction path search method predicts accurate stereochemistry of pericyclic reactions using only target molecule structure.

Giants in History: Chinese palaeontologist, archaeologist and anthropologist Pei Wenzhong (January 19, 1904 – September 18, 1982) is regarded as a founder of Chinese anthropology.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers introduced seven proteins, thought to let bacteria swim by switching the direction that their helical bodies spiral, into a strain of synthetic bacterium with minimal genetic information. As a result, they confirmed that the synthetic bacterium named syn3, which is normally spherical, formed a helix that could swim by spiraling. Further investigation revealed that only two of these newly added proteins were required to make syn3 capable of minimal swimming. This swimming synthetic bacterium can be said to be the smallest mobile lifeform genetically, as it contains the fewest number of genes.

Using a quantum computer, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers utilized quantum logic circuits to directly calculate, in a single calculation, the energy difference between two molecular geometries. The developed method was then applied to execute the molecular geometry optimization of typical molecular systems. On a classical computer, calculations based on the finite difference method require at least two evaluations of the energy for one-dimensional systems, but previous research has shown that a quantum computer can be used to calculate the energy derivatives based on this method in a single calculation. However, quantum circuits relevant to quantum algorithms capable of performing the energy derivative calculations had not been implemented. The research group has successfully created a quantum circuit to calculate the energy derivatives by modifying the quantum circuit used in the previously developed quantum phase difference estimation algorithm.

The Sox9 gene is upregulated in the absence of sex-determining Y chromosome and Sry gene in Amami spiny rat.

A research group at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Science has revealed a new system that allows them to control the behavior of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, using two different animal opsins, a type of light-sensitive protein. The first opsin was expressed in the worms’ sensory cells responsible for triggering avoidance behavior, making the worms move. This opsin was found to be approximately 7,000 times more sensitive to white light than the commonly used optogenetic protein channelrhodopsin-2. Likewise, a UV-sensitive opsin was expressed in the worms’ motor neurons, causing the worms to stop when exposed to UV light and start moving again when exposed to green light. Both opsins tested can be switched on and off repeatedly without breaking down, making them robust tools for future research, including the field of drug discovery.

A Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) collaborative research team has synthesised a nanoparticle named TRZD that can perform the dual function of diagnosing and treating glioma in the brain. It emits persistent luminescence for the diagnostic imaging of glioma tissues in vivo and inhibits the growth of tumour cells by aiding the targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs. The nanoparticle offers hope for the early diagnosis and treatment of glioma, especially cerebellar glioma, which is even harder to detect and cure with existing methods.

We don’t know much about the Earth’s inner core because recreating its conditions in a laboratory setting remains fraught with difficulties. Based on tracking seismic waves, scientists theorize that the area in and around the core comprises mostly of iron. But the values extracted from these indicators differ from how pure iron typically behaves. Now, a collaborative research group has succeeded, for the first time, in measuring the speed of sound of pure iron under pressures similar to the Earth’s inner core boundary.

A new model explains that water evaporating from the Arctic Ocean due to a warming climate is transported south and can lead to increased snowfall in northern Eurasia in late autumn and early winter. This information will allow for more accurate predictions of severe weather events.

Professor Chua Chee Kai and Associate Professor Yuen Chau, from the Engineering Product Development pillar at SUTD join the list of Highly Cited Researchers™ (HCR) 2022.

Theory-guided development of an easier, more versatile process for synthesizing unsymmetric ligands provides new avenues of exploration in transitional metal catalysis.

An expedition with the Search for Lost Birds captured the first-ever photos and video of the black-naped pheasant-pigeon.

Researchers led by the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo develop a novel method for measuring seafloor movement

Exploring virtual human-agent relationships, A fly protein gives clue for human cancers, Rare earth elements formed in neutron star mergers 💥, One-stop process for hydrogen production. Read all in the November's Editor's Choice plus Upcoming event K4DM KNOWLEDGE MARKETPLACE – Bangkok 2022: Exchanging Ideas for a Democratic Myanmar.

Researchers led by Osaka University have shown that a molecule known as ATAD3A is essential for the movement of genetic material inside cellular substructures called mitochondria. Appropriate distribution of this DNA, organized into “nucleoid” structures, is key for the generation of energy by the “respiratory chain” protein complex. This study opens up opportunities for developing new methods to alter nucleoid movement and affect mitochondrial function, thereby providing potential therapies against mitochondrial diseases.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, researchers from Kanazawa University use high-speed microscopy to capture the dynamics of nanosized sacs released from cells.

Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University have genetically engineered a protein to emit the shortest-wavelength fluorescence light reported to date. They did this by optimizing the interactions between the fluorescence center (chromophore) and its surroundings, in a manner that differs from previous reports. The resulting fluorescence emission was bright and stable over a useful range of pH values. This work will aid basic and applied research, such as understanding the behavior of healthy and diseased cells.

Muon non-destructive analysis of Asteroid Ryugu revealed the raw materials of solid matter at the outer regions of the early solar system. The samples contain less oxygen relative to silicon than typical CI chondrites, indicating that previous CI chondrite samples may have been contaminated by terrestrial materials, thus redefining the standard elemental composition of solid materials in the solar system.

A novel branched lipid that has a high stability in storage and a high efficiency in the delivery of mRNA to cells has been developed.

Giants in History: Indian scientist and physician Upendranath Brahmachari (19 December 1873–6 February 1946) is best known for creating a drug called Urea Stibamine, used to safely and reliably treat visceral leishmaniasis (or Kala-azar), a severe infection caused by the Leishmania parasite.

A flipping action in a porous material facilitates the passage of normal water to separate it out from heavy water.

Researchers from Osaka University and Dusseldorf University have found a new theranostic compound that effectively shrinks prostate tumor in mice. Theranostics is a cancer treatment that involves finding cancer cells anywhere in the body and delivering targeted radiation to kill those cells, by drugs that contain radioactive isotopes. It means that this compound could be a promising option for treating hormone-resistant metastases in patients with recurrent cancers. This is stated to be tested in an upcoming clinical trial.

In a study recently published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers from Kanazawa University use a method called “lasso-grafting” to design therapeutics with enhanced longevity and brain penetration.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have discovered that, in the crystalline solid Ba1-xSrxAl2O4, a highly disordered atomic arrangement is formed in the AlO4 network at chemical compositions near the structural quantum critical point, resulting in characteristics of both crystalline and amorphous materials. This hybrid state, which the research team was the first to discover, can be created simply by mixing raw materials uniformly and heating them. These findings are expected to help with the development of hybrid materials for use in harsh environments, such as outer space, by applying the technique to a variety of materials.

Focusing on the imperative of integrating science, policy and clinical practice to advance global One Health movement especially in the aftermath of COVID-19, the Congress will feature sharing by leading global scientists and policymakers on ways to address complex global health challenges.

Researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for a novel use of artificial intelligence for enzyme engineering that does not require an enzyme’s crystal structure. By analyzing the amino acid sequences of malic enzymes from various living organisms, the researchers identified the amino acids that are pertinent to using different redox cofactors. The results of this work will facilitate retooling enzymes in research laboratories and the biotech industry.

Giants in History: Tsuneko (1933) and Reiji Okazaki ( 1930 – 1975)were a Japanese couple who discovered Okazaki fragments – short sequences of DNA that are synthesized during DNA replication and linked together to form a continuous strand.