Press releases

A new drug delivery system delivers an antioxidant directly to mitochondria in the liver, mitigating the effects of oxidative stress.

Adapting a detector developed for space X-ray observation, a team including Kavli IPMU researchers have successfully verify strong-field quantum electrodynamics with exotic atoms.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists elucidated the molecular structure of anionic Pt(0) complexes for the first time in collaboration with co-researchers at Paul Sabatier University - Toulouse III. The key to success is the stabilization of anionic Pt(0) complexes (which are usually unstable owing to their electron-donating nature) by the electron-accepting properties of boron compounds. The results of this research allow us to elucidate the properties and functions of highly active chemical species and provide new guidelines for their creation. The research is expected to lead to the development of innovative catalytic reactions mediated by these chemical species.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular, lower the prognosis of ischemic strokes by causing inflammation in the brain.

Zinc-air batteries may power the future thanks to their high density, low cost, and nature-friendly makeup. Yet, their low voltage has stymied their widespread application. Now, a research group has realized a zinc-air battery with an open circuit voltage of over 2 V.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in 678 bacterial isolates from 428 companion dogs and 74 companion cats at the Veterinary Medical Center, Osaka Metropolitan University. Two E. coli strains have both a mobile colistin-resistant mcr gene and a third-generation cephalosporin-resistant blaCTX gene. One of these strains, which is found in a dog, was resistant to both colistin and third-generation cephalosporins.

Researchers discuss whether a "brain organoid" should be treated as a person by law, and suggest the need for legal and social discussions uncoupled from debates on consciousness.

In operation from 1863 to 2016, Bourne and Shepherd was one of the first commercial photography studios in India, known for architectural, landscape and topographical photographs, as well as portraits of Indian nobility, British officials and European travellers. While these images found traction as souvenirs, the studio’s photographs were also widely utilised in the scientific community for the topographical and sociological study of the Indian subcontinent.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a natural glue to hold stem cells in place, how cancer manipulates our immune cells, and the answer to Everest’s spooky nighttime noises.

Scientists from A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) have ascertained that there is no stable microbial community residing in the bloodstream of healthy humans. This is an important discovery as blood donations are a crucial part of medical practice. Understanding the types of microbes that are found in blood could allow for the development of better microbial tests in blood donations, which would minimise the risk of transfusion-related infections. The research was published in Nature Microbiology on 31 March 2023.

Scientists have found a lipid transporter crucial to regulating the cells that make myelin, the nerve-protecting sheath.

HKBU joint research suggests that urine cytomegalovirus test facilitates early prediction of AIDS end-organ diseases

Dr Daniel Fung King-tat, Assistant Professor at the Department of English Language Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, has written a book chapter entitled ‘Students’ Experience in Online Teaching and Learning: An Investigation into EMI Classroom Interaction, Willingness to Communicate and Classroom Enjoyment’. The chapter, which was featured in the book The Use of Technology in English Medium Education, explores students’ views and experiences by comparing online and face-to-face classes.

Philip M. Parker, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Management Science and founder of the INSEAD AI lab called TotoGEO, has developed TotoPoetry – a poetry generator trained on a rule-oriented approach to AI.

Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) collaboration researchers including the Kavli IPMU's Toshiya Namikawa have created a new map of dark matter in the universe confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity.

A joint research group at Osaka Metropolitan University has succeeded in regulating the flow of single molecules in solution by opening and closing the nanovalve mounted on the nanofluidic device by applying external pressure. The research group fabricated a device with a ribbon-like, thin, soft glass sheet on the top, and at the bottom a hard glass substrate having nanochannels and nanovalve seats. By applying external pressure to the soft glass sheet to open and close the valve, they succeeded in directly manipulating and controlling the flow of individual molecules in solution. They also observed an effect of fluorescence signal amplification when single fluorescent molecules are confined in the tiny nanospace inside the valve. The effect can be ascribed to the nanoconfinement, which suppresses the random motion of the molecules.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a flu that could potentially jump from dogs to humans, a surgically-implanted chip that can help with serious addiction cravings, and a powerful jet emitted from a supermassive black hole.

Allowing the direct observation of biomolecules in dynamic action, high-speed AFM has opened a new avenue to dynamic structural biology. An enormous amount of successful applications within the last 15 years provide unique insights into essential biological processes at the nanoscale – visualizing, for example, how molecular motors execute their specific functions.

Certain types of fungi can communicate with each other via electrical signals. But much remains unknown about how and when they do so. A group of researchers recently headed to the forest to measure the electrical signals of Laccaria bicolor mushrooms, finding that their electrical signals increased following rainfall.

An Osaka Metropolitan University scientist published a review article on numerous asymmetric reactions using arynes, organized by style, and detailed their outline and characteristics. Unresolved issues and prospects in this field were also described.

To discover and preserve conservation laws in the data of physical phenomena, researchers from Osaka University developed FINDE, which uses a neural network to represent the underlying conservation laws of a system as opposed to its superficial dynamics. Experiments demonstrated that energy and mass conservation laws, spatial symmetries, and constraints were discovered and preserved, indicating the potential of FINDE to contribute to the development of computer-aided engineering and physics simulations.

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have developed a desktop charger with voltages high enough to replenish the electric charge on N95 and surgical masks, which is required for effective use

A research group at the Osaka Metropolitan University analyzed the relationship between diet, muscle mass, and liver fibrosis progression in 136 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease attending the Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital. The research group found that the group with the highest Japanese diet score had less advanced liver fibrosis, and that the intake of soy products, seafood, and seaweed was important.

Singapore scientists find use of healthcare resources, absenteeism and reduced productivity due to mental health issues place a significant burden on Singapore’s economy.

Osaka Metropolitan University researcher demonstrates that social and educational indicators strongly affect the population decline rate. This indicates that municipalities that invest more in education for children tend to have lower population decline rates. Surprisingly, educational indicators have a greater influence than economic indicators, such as the financial strength index. Some Asian countries, such as South Korea and China, will experience population declines as a result of low birth rates and aging populations.

Researchers from The University of Tokyo find a new approach to successfully identify areas at risk of flooding that can be missed by historical hazard maps.

The Nobel prize winning physicist Niels Bohr once said, “An expert is a (person) that has made all the mistakes that can be made in a narrow field.” This idea that to master a skill we must learn from our mistakes and avoid making them in future has long been recognized; however, the brain mechanisms and pathways that control this ability have been poorly understood. We revealed a specific brain pathway that allows us to identify and learn from our mistakes to guide better decision-making in future. Our work is an important step towards understanding how the brain controls our daily choices and behavior. The identification of these cells as ‘mistake signalers’ may also help to guide new treatments for mental health conditions associated with impaired decision-making ability.

This study by Dr Chrysa Keung Pui-chi, Assistant Professor at the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong, examined the relationships between leadership practices, professional learning communities, teachers’ efficacy beliefs and perceptions of whole-child development in the context of kindergarten education.

Born out of the changing society of nineteenth-century Calcutta, Kalighat painting was a popular medium among the patuas (painters) who worked in the vicinity of the Kalighat temple. Though these paintings were originally intended to be souvenirs for devotees visiting the temple and featured primarily Hindu imagery, they expanded over time to include other religious traditions as well as socio-political commentary.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are bioprinting organs and tissues, settling a debate on a monster, and shedding light on dark matter.