Peer Reviewed

Hiroshima University researchers investigated the effects of hydrogen supplementation on sleep quality in healthy human volunteers. While hydrogen supplementation had no significant effect compared to a placebo, individuals in the hydrogen-supplementation group reporting better sleep quality were discovered to have a lower abundance of hydrogen producing bacteria in their gut microbiome.

SUTD researchers have discovered that the light electrons emit as they skim past a grating has always carried a hidden handedness, and that twisting the grating or nudging the beam sideways turns a plain silicon structure into a chiral, broadly tunable light source.

A study by Professor Miki Shibata at Hiroshima University, published in the International Journal of Multilingualism, examines how multilingual international students in English-taught programs in Japan navigate language use and develop a sense of belonging in the academic community. The findings offer insights into the challenges of multilingual communication and the development of more inclusive learning environments.

Scientists introduce tiny holes in silicon to slow down light, improving the efficiency of data signal conversion

SUTD researchers have designed and 3D-printed microscopic colour routers that can capture clearer images in dim conditions without the light losses of conventional filters.

A new polymerization method harnesses Laplace pressure generated within microscopic droplets to synthesize degradable plastics.

Researchers from the University of Osaka have shown how a protein complex called CCAN assembles at chromosomes inside the cell, forming a spherical shell-like structure inside the nucleus. The protein CENP-C is critical for building this shell, with cells that fail to form it showing defective chromosome segregation. These findings suggest that the ordered shell-like configuration of CCAN is critical for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have identified a rice protein that helps plants establish beneficial partnerships with soil fungi. The protein, IDD7, works with regulators of growth and nutrient responses to switch on genes needed for successful root–fungus cooperation.

A team led by researchers from the University of Osaka has investigated the physical properties of a liquid membrane. Using vesicles whose membranes are made of a coacervate, a type of liquid, the team measured how these membranes bend. This liquid membrane was found to bend more easily than the lipid membranes that enclose cells. The findings deepen our understanding of soft, liquid-based membranes and may inform studies of protocells and other liquid compartments.

Steel making is not known for being environmentally friendly. Although alternative technologies are changing this, the conventional blast furnace method will remain in use for the foreseeable future. A recent research paper has shed light on how iron ore behaves in furnaces, possibly enabling slight tweaks to the production to make steel production more efficient.

Local wildlife rescue center publishes data in a new paper revealing the critically endangered Bangka slow loris still survives across the Indonesian island of Bangka

A research team has solved an astrological puzzle, identifying the conditions that allow a rapidly feeding supermassive black hole to launch a powerful relativistic jet.

Water electrolysis offers a promising way to produce hydrogen without directly emitting CO₂, but the iridium catalysts used in some systems are expensive and can lose their effectiveness over time. To address this challenge, researchers have developed a new catalyst that protects iridium nanoparticles in two ways: keeping them firmly in place and limiting excessive oxidation. This could help make hydrogen production more reliable and affordable.

Self-running experiments that improve from AI input sound too good to be true, but researchers at Tohoku University found a way. Their findings could help us develop stronger and tougher structural metals more efficiently.

Self-running experiments that improve from AI input sound too good to be true, but researchers at Tohoku University found a way. Their findings could help us develop stronger and tougher structural metals more efficiently.

Next generation quantum computers hold so much promise - but it takes an enormous amount of tests to develop them. To speed up this process, researchers found a method that can read quantum states at ultra-fast speeds.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have uncovered a hidden nonequilibrium self-assembly pathway that enables the formation of highly oriented soft quasicrystals. By controlling molecular interactions and navigating metastable structural transformations, they achieved dodecagonal quasicrystals with remarkable orientational alignment over millimeter-scale regions, demonstrating a new strategy for controlling the large-scale organization of complex soft matter.

A research team led by Professor Oscar Dahlsten from the Department of Physics at CityUHK, set out to prove a theoretical limitation, only to discover a novel quantum solution. This surprise breakthrough breaks traditional physical constraints and introduces an innovative strategy for harvesting energy from fluctuating sources. The study shows that a distinctive feature of quantum theory, known as the non-unique decomposition of mixed states, can enable deterministic energy harvesting, allowing energy to be transferred from a source to a harvester without a corresponding transfer of entropy.

Underground sewer pipes are essential to our cities, but because they're difficult to access, detecting damage before it leads to major problems isn't easy. To address this, researchers at Tohoku University have developed a new method that uses bacteria found in wastewater and computer models to identify pipes at risk of severe corrosion. This could help cities spot problems earlier and prioritize inspections.

The patterns that make up the weaves in textiles are seemingly endless. Certain patterns produce different qualities, such as making a material better at allowing sound to travel through it. But given the vast arrangement possibilities, testing each pattern arrangement can be a never-ending process. Now, a research team has developed an AI-assisted method to sift through the pattern possibilities.

Researchers from the University of Osaka uncovered the first steps of disease development in ANCA-associated autoimmune glomerulonephritis. Injured kidney cells send signals to attract immune cells, including neutrophils, and induce inflammation. The researchers tested the effects of modified antibodies on halting disease progression in a mouse model, showing that the modified antibodies successfully reduced kidney injury. The findings offer hope for a potential treatment aimed at stopping the disease at its earliest stage.

A newly discovered Jurassic bird from China appears to have lived a land-based, flightless lifestyle, suggesting that the earliest birds had a greater diversity of lifestyles than previously recognized

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have developed a way to observe how antibodies interact with a cancer-related protein carried on tiny membrane-bound vesicles released by cells. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy, they found that measuring how much of the protein is present does not necessarily show how accessible it is to antibodies. The findings reported in the journal Small Methods provide a new way to investigate differences between individual cancer-derived vesicles although further research is needed before the approach can be used clinically.

Large-scale study of more than 16,000 disaster-affected residents highlights the importance of distinguishing social networks, loneliness, and purpose in life during long-term recovery.

Tomomichi Itoh and his colleagues at Ehime University have shown how tiny light-induced molecular shape changes can be amplified into visible deformation of polymer microparticles. The team developed light-responsive particles containing azobenzene molecules and revealed how structural changes triggered by light spread through the material, ultimately deforming particles several to tens of micrometers in size. These findings provide new insights for designing light-driven microscale materials and devices.

- DGIST Professor Seong Kyun Kim’s team develops a novel material that retains airborne moisture and evaporates it when heated to provide cooling - Adheres firmly to metal and semiconductor surfaces without inducing corrosion; demonstrates cooling for over 12 hours and temperature reductions of up to 18.2°C - Published in the internationally renowned journal Small Structures

Researchers develop experimental modeling method that streamlines traditional process, resulting in more predictions across more applications

Researchers have developed a biodegradable smart patch that detects pressure changes and releases blood clot-dissolving medication when activated by ultrasound. Laboratory tests demonstrated sensitive pressure monitoring, controlled drug release, and approximately 70% blood clot degradation, highlighting its potential for future medical applications.

Light may be the key to creating bendable displays and wearable sensors

Only four enzymes including D-apionate oxidoisomerase (ApnO) are known to catalyze distinct, sequential chemical reactions at a single active site. Biochemical and crystallographic analysis revealed the catalytic mechanism of ApnO containing zinc and manganese ions as metal cofactors, and unique tetrahedral coordination geometry of the later. This study provides new insight into the molecular evolution of rare enzymes that defy the general paradigm wherein a single enzyme's activity is classified under a single reaction mode.