Press releases

A joint research group at Osaka Metropolitan University conducted a survey on prevalence of obesity and factors associated with low obesity among 423 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 living in Harare, Zimbabwe. The results revealed that 15.8% were obese or overweight. The study also revealed that 27.1% of the participants had low obesity awareness, which was significantly related to parents/guardians' lack of formal education and insufficient knowledge about eating habits.

From big, permanent structures within imambaras to palm-sized ones made of cigarette boxes and coloured paper, tazias are replicas of the tomb of Imam Hussain which play a significant role in the rituals observed during Muharram. They were initially popularised by the Mughals for those royals who were unable to visit the actual tomb but the tradition continues, even today, when photographic images of the tomb are widely available — as a mode of creative expression or, perhaps more, as a performance of homage.

Scientists have combined two light wavelengths to deactivate a bacterium that is invulnerable to some of the world’s most widely used antibiotics, giving hope that the regime could be adapted as a potential disinfectant treatment.

Omega-3 lysolipids are important for protecting the liver from dietary fat, according to Duke-NUS researchers and collaborators from SGH.

Research stories from the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne Tuesday 18 July 2023

Highlights from the first two days of the 23rd International Congress of Genetics, Melbourne Australia For the next six days we will hear how genetics has transformed medicine, food, conservation, and almost every area of human activity.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a fluorescent sensor that may be useful for understanding how cells recognize themselves versus other cells when making connections in the brain. Specifically, their sensor can be used to visualize not only connections between cells, but also the disassociation of these interactions. Because neuronal self-connectivity has been implicated in brain disorders like epilepsy and autism, a better understanding of this process may result in improved therapies.

The physiological mechanisms underlying severe burns are not well understood. Researchers at Osaka University used mass spectrometry to identify key blood proteins associated with burn mortality. Ultimately, three proteins (HBA1, TTR, SERPINF2) were very highly correlated with morality rates. Further research into these proteins and their pathways may lead to better drugs to treat people with life-threatening burns.

Dr Andy Chin, Head and Associate Professor at the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies, and Director of the Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Studies, has been awarded a Publication Award in Language Learning at the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards 2023.

RNases have been proposed as a treatment against systemic autoimmune diseases. Researchers from Osaka University showed that RNases have a dual action. In some cases, RNases are detrimental and stimulate the immune response by promoting the binding of antibodies to their targets. These findings will improve the understanding and treatment of systemic autoimmune disorders.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are sea sludge that documents human impact on the Earth, a cloak that could passively control temperatures, and an algorithm that can be used to help preserve a Philippine writing system.

A research team has discovered an astounding array of unexplored protein folds. This research will expand our understanding of the depth of the protein universe and the possibilities for de novo design of functional proteins.

The entire biosynthetic pathway of actinopyridazone has been unveiled, revealing that an unprecedented carrier protein-mediated ring-forming step is key to its synthesis.

Tohoku University researchers have engineered a new material that overcomes some of the barriers to furthering phase change memory – a potentially revolutionary form of data storage that is still in its infancy. Using sputtering, they created a 2D Van Der Waals Chalcogenide that possesses an ultra-low melting point.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a way to avoid biopsies by catching free-floating DNA, a large dip in the Earth’s surface under the Indian Ocean, and how people who brush their teeth before bed seem to have healthier hearts.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Science Advances high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments that show the structural and chemical changes in an enzyme thought to play a vital role in modulating the strength of neural connections.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have successfully developed a model that utilizes AI to accurately classify cardiac functions and valvular heart diseases from chest radiographs. The Area Under the Curve, or AUC, of the AI classification showed a high level of accuracy, exceeding 0.85 for almost all indicators and reaching 0.92 for detecting left ventricular ejection fraction—an important measure for monitoring cardiac function.

The composition of the Earth’s earliest atmosphere

How have the atmosphere and mantle oxidation state of the Earth changed?

A new method for connecting neurons in neuromorphic wetware has been developed by researchers from Osaka University and Hokkaido University. The wetware comprises conductive polymer wires grown in a three-dimensional configuration, done by applying square-wave voltage to electrodes submerged in a precursor solution. The voltage can modify wire conductance, allowing the network to be trained. This fabricated network is able to perform unsupervised Hebbian learning and spike-based learning.

- DGIST’s Research Capacity Shines with 7th Global Ranking in Citations per Paper by Faculty Members - Securing 9th Place Overall in Korea and 2nd in Daegu-Gyeongbuk Region, Following Postech - DGIST Sets a Strong Precedent as a New University with Global Recognition, Showcasing Remarkable Research Capabilities and Educational Excellence

- DGIST-Chungnam National University Team Creates Real-Time Digital Twin Multiphysics Model for Predicting Electrochemical and Mechanical Properties of Micro-Particles for the First Time - Cover Paper Recognition: Chosen by Prominent Journal Advanced Energy Materials

- A research team led by Dr. Byeong-dae Choi at the Division of Electronics & Information System, DGIST, greatly improved the efficiency of electroluminescent devices by applying silver nanofilms. - This opens up the possibility of developing affordable digital film signage.

- A research team led by Professor Hyuk-jun Kwon, a DGIST Professor, successfully developed a graphene-metal organic framework hybrid structure with hierarchical porosity - A technology capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide at the level of one billionth in real-time... Expected to be applied to next-generation healthcare devices

- Joint research team of DGIST Professor JeongHo Kwak and KAIST Professor Jihwan Choi develops a network slicing planning and handover technique for next-generation 6G low LEO satellite networks - This work is expected to contribute to various services using satellite networks in the era of 6G satellite networks in the future such as Starlink and OneWeb

- Principal Researcher Jinhyo Yun’s team at the DGIST publishes a comparative study on South Korea and Italy using the commons as a business model in one of the top international journals - This work opens new prospects in sustainable capitalism

□ DGIST (President Kuk Young) celebrated the opening of the DGIST AI-SW Education and Research Center on Thursday, April 25. This momentous event took place at the “Daegu Smart City Center” in Suseong Alpha City, Daegu, and was graced by esteemed attendees, including President Kuk Young of DGIST and Lee Jong-hwa, Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs, Daegu Metropolitan City.

- Professor Minseok Kim’s team at the DGIST confirmed the excellent anticancer effects of the NK cell therapy product that can self-activate in preclinical trials with CT Cells - This work is expected to be applied in various fields as a next-generation anticancer therapy using NK cells

DGIST (academia), Samsung C&T Corporation (industry), and MFR (research) entered into an MOU to conduct joint research on high-tech construction automation

DGIST published a comparative study of the smart payment industry in Korea, China, and the UK in a top international journal