Press releases

The use of veterinary antibiotics is not uncommon in the fields of animal husbandry and fisheries to speed up growth and prevent disease. However, residual antibiotics may damage human gut microbiota, promote antibiotic resistance, and even delay the growth and development of brain cells, posing hazards to human health.

A new online platform to explore computationally calculated chemical reaction pathways has been released, allowing for in-depth understanding and design of chemical reactions.

An international research team has discovered that a subduction zone’s age affects the ability for it to recycle water between the Earth’s surface and its inner layers. The more mature the subduction zone, the bigger the water storage capacity.

Comprising over 750 rock shelters — of which over a hundred are painted — the Bhimbetka caves are perhaps the earliest known repository of art in South Asia. These prehistoric paintings illustrate hunting scenes as well as scenes of collective rituals and processions. Although their purposes remain unknown, Bhimbetka paintings provide immense historical information about humans, animals and their relationship with nature and culture.

A group of researchers at Osaka University used a noninvasive method to evaluate Cerebrovascular Autoregulation (CVAR) in patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The mortality rate increased significantly with the duration of time that CVAR was undetectable. It has been suggested that CVAR, a function that is normally present in the normal state, may be impaired after cardiac resuscitation. However, the relationship between CVAR function and patient prognosis has been unclear. The research examined CVAR over time, using the moving Pearson correlation coefficient calculated from regional cerebral oxygen saturation and mean blood pressure data, and performed a survival analysis using the presence or absence of CVAR as a time-dependent covariate. The findings of this study may first be useful in predicting neuroprognosis after cardiac resumption and may help avoid early withdrawal of treatment in those who may recover. In addition, they suggest that treatment and management that maintains proper CVAR after cardiac resumption may improve patient prognosis, which may be applied to the management of post-cardiac arrest resuscitation based on cerebral circulation to optimize treatment for each individual patient.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are whether octopuses have dreams, an app that can tell you if your cat is in pain, and interchangeable arms for cyborg dancing.

Topological materials’ unique properties make them a great choice for making next-generation devices. In order to exploit them, it was thought that crystalline materials, where atoms are highly ordered, were needed. But now, a research group has verified that even amorphous materials, where atoms are loosely arranged, can have these special properties.

The brain is a highly efficient, sophisticated information processing system. To achieve maximum efficiency, it can store reservoirs of interconnected nodes that transform input signals into a more complex representation. This has inspired a theoretical computational model known as reservoir computing. A research team has recently harnessed this model to analyze the computational capabilities of an artificially cultured brain composed of neurons derived from the cerebral cortex of rats.

New technological development has provided further clues about the origins of life on Earth. An international research group invented an innovative X-ray spectroscopy approach that enabled them to recreate the chemical reactions occurring in liquids at the femtosecond level (a quadrillionth part of a second). They used this to examine ureas—an organic compound that underwent ionization to form some of the building blocks of life.

For the first time, the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed starlight from two massive galaxies hosting actively growing black holes – quasars – seen less than a billion years after the Big Bang.

New findings from a cave in northern Laos add to a growing body of evidence that modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia over 80,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.

A New Approach for Peripheral Annelation of Porphyrinoid

Researchers from Osaka University analyzed discussions on research governance of human genome editing in the Expert Panel on Bioethics in Japan and identified the positive roles played by related research communities, the government, and the general public in the policy-making process. It is expected to provide more effective and practical guidance for countries and organizations seeking to work with diverse stakeholders in the governance of emerging medical technologies.

Researchers from Osaka University have revealed the mechanism by which increased signaling through a pathway associated with a molecule called Wnt leads to the development of liver cancer. They identified a gene called GREB1 as a target of Wnt specifically in liver cancer. This gene alters the function of a protein called HNF4α, leading to the development of cancer. They also showed that treatment of mice with antisense oligonucleotides against GREB1 had significant anti-cancer effects.

Have you ever studied hard for a test the night before, only to fail miserably the next day? Alternatively, you may have felt unconfident after studying the night before when, to your astonishment, you recall effortless the content on test day. This discrepancy may be down to the separate and independent way in which our brain processes short- and long-term memory, Tohoku University researchers have revealed.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science (The University of Tokyo) have developed a high-resolution method for climate model simulation.

Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University demonstrated a method for drying cellulose nanofiber (CNF) that retains the unique properties of the thickening agent. High transparency, high viscosity, and controllable viscosity were restored with simple stirring after the CNF was dehydrated from an organogel. Our powder had a much smaller volume than freeze-dried CNF, which will facilitate more efficient transport and storage. The method is expected to have a significant impact on food and cosmetics manufacturing.

Two cross-institutional initiatives, the ‘Academic Integrity and Ethics – Augmented Reality’ (AIE-AR) Project and the Joint University Mental Wellness Project (JUMP), with The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) as team members, have won the Second-Class Prizes at the 2022 National Teaching Achievement Awards (Higher Education) presented by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.

What scientists learned about the rare antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2’s Achilles’ heel could help fine-tune our COVID-19 vaccine strategy for longer-lasting immunity.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how worms use electric fields to jump onto bumblebees, how humans moving water affects the Earth’s rotation, and rising sea levels causing the displacement of people over 20 000 years ago.

An international team led by Professor Yan Xu from Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a groundbreaking nanofluidic device, named NANa, capable of stochastically capturing and digitally detecting individual proteins at cellular concentrations. This tool, vital for precision medicine, is designed to handle tiny volumes equivalent to a single cell's contents and can identify single biomolecules even in high-concentration environments. The team plans to conduct further demonstrations using actual cell samples and explore the integration of this tool with AI and biological big data. This research could potentially revolutionize personalized disease prevention and treatment.

A combination of radiotherapy followed by immunotherapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of oral malignant melanomas in dogs.

An international team of researchers from India and Singapore, led by Associate Professor Kheng Lim Goh from Newcastle University in Singpaore, has examined the impact of plastic waste management on creating a new type of clean-energy device, Tribo-electric nanogenerator. It compares recycling practices in Singapore and India, highlighting the importance of waste policies and infrastructure for successful recycling of plastics for making the clean-energy device. Challenges include contamination and decreased material quality with recycling.

Researchers from Newcastle University, led by Dr Kheng Lim Goh, have developed a cost-effective Cellular Automata (CA) model for predicting marine plastic movement. Findings from model predictions align well with traditional particle-tracking models, suggesting its potential as a valuable tool for assessing marine plastic pollution and mitigation strategies.

An international team of researchers revisited the fundamentals of Negative Poisson's ratio structure (NPRS) and investigated its creation using laminated carbon fiber reinforced plastics, a strong and lightweight material. Their objective was to gain a deeper understanding of the process and explore potential applications, aiming to unlock new possibilities and advancements in the field of materials science for sustainability.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers succeeded, for the first time, in stabilizing the high-temperature phase of Li3PS4—a solid electrolyte material¬¬—thus attaining high ionic conductivity even at room temperature, using a method of rapid heating during its crystallization. This unprecedented achievement is expected to contribute to the development of materials for all-solid-state batteries with higher performance.

Researchers from Osaka University found that the binding of two proteins—Polydom and Tie1—is essential for lymphatic cell migration in the remodeling of lymphatic vessels, which transport molecules around the body. A better understanding of the development and remodeling of the lymphatic system will lead to better therapeutic options for diseases such as lymphedema, which is common in cancer patients and currently has no cure.

To promote the message of productive ageing, Lingnan University (LU) joined hands with RTHK Radio 5, New Territories West Elder Academies Cluster, and Wofoo Social Enterprises to organise O Camp 2.0 on LU campus on 17 June. The event, themed ‘Intergenerational Day Camp’, aims to promote intergenerational harmony and offer LU students a platform to assist older people in experiencing university life. They also spared time to collaborate with secondary and primary school students to set a first leisure technology SDG World Record for enhancing elderly’s interest in gerontechnology’s application in a bid to improve their quality of life as well as build up Hong Kong into an age-friendly city.

Adaption and mitigation efforts might be improved with inclusivity and transparency

A key protein for sperm maturation identified, Understanding gel formation, Urine test predicts organ diseases, A laser drills holes in a graphene film. Plus in our blog - The frogs of Borneo: more than just a race. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.