Japan

A new amphipod species thrives at record temperatures in nearby hot spring pools of an ancient Inca city, defying norms for these typically cold-dwelling animals. Unraveling its key adaptations can give clues for the survival of other freshwater creatures in our warming world.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists, in cooperation with researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, have captured cosmic-ray extensive air showers with unprecedented precision using the prime-focus wide field camera mounted on the Subaru Telescope, situated atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Analyzing approximately 17,000 images captured between 2014 and 2020, they pinpointed 13 images containing extensive air showers, with a number of particle tracks far exceeding the usual count.

Researchers from Osaka University developed wirelessly powered soil moisture sensing technology that will help meet the needs of sustainable precision agriculture. Both the soil moisture content and the position of each sensor are readily detected and transmitted, even at high sensor densities. The sensors are largely biodegradable and can be tilled into the soil at the end of the crop season. This work might help farmers allocate resources to cropland in a timely, targeted manner.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, synthesize a two-center zinc complex that absorbs visible light as a solid and in solution.

A research team led by Osaka University developed a theranostics approach to both diagnose and treat certain pancreatic cancer cases. They radioactively labeled a monoclonal antibody targeting glypican-1, which is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, then administered it to disease model mice. One label, 89Zr, showed high uptake in tumors, which would allow early detection of pancreatic cancer with PET scans. Another label, 211At, was used with alpha therapy to significantly slow tumor growth.

Researchers at Osaka University developed a nanostructured light diffuser that provides balanced lighting by diffracting blue and red light, and can be cleaned by simple rinsing with water. The diffuser consists of cheap materials and can be shaped with common tools. A protective glass coating maintains the diffuser’s optical performance yet adds durability. This work might improve the visual performance of everyday lighting displays.

The International Symposium on Triglyceride/Neutral Lipid and Rare Diseases will be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center on October 21 and 22, 2023. The symposium is organized by the International Symposium on Triglyceride/Neutral Lipid and Rare Diseases Conference Committee, which is led by Dr. Ken-ichi Hirano (Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University) and the Japan Intractable Diseases (Nanbyo) Research Foundation.

To extend the depth of field in mask-based lensless cameras, researchers from Osaka University replaced conventionally coded masks with a radial-coded mask optimized to balance the frequency response. As a result, the point spread function depends less on distance, and subjects at various depths can be clearly imaged. Experiments in simulation and on a prototype show that the depth of field of the camera is extended when the proposed radial mask is used.

Acoels have been found to host a wide diversity of symbiotic, photosynthetic microalgae.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have used the power of laser light to accelerate the reaction between cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles—a kind of nanoparticle—and antibody-modified microparticles. The three-dimensional structure of the resulting aggregates was then analyzed using a confocal optical system. The results demonstrated the ability to measure, within 5 minutes, approximately 1,000 to 10,000 nanoscale EVs contained in a 500 nL sample.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a data-driven AI algorithm for controlling the heating and cooling of an office building. The system does not require ambient sensors or specific knowledge of the building’s rooms. During heating operations, the system was able to achieve energy savings of up to 30%, which can represent significant reductions to cost and environmental impact.

The researchers from Osaka University showed how two psychological factors, belief in just deserts (BJD) and human rights restrictions (HRR), differ across countries. BJD tended to be higher in Japan and lower in the UK, whereas HRR was higher in China and lower in Japan. Public health messages for high-HRR individuals could potentially be used effectively to reduce disease-related discrimination and prejudice.

Observations during two flybys by the Mio spacecraft as part of the BepiColombo International Mercury Exploration Project have revealed that chorus waves occur quite locally in the dawn sector of Mercury. Mercury's magnetic field is about 1% of that of Earth, and it was unclear whether chorus waves would be generated like on Earth. The present study reveals that the chorus waves are the driving source of Mercury’s X-ray auroras, whose mechanism was not understood.

The authors discovered a shorter isoform of Rubicon called RUBCN100, which enhances autophagy in B cells.

The authors identified a structure in the circadian mRNA Period2 that affects the sleep-wake cycle. The results indicate how translation and post-transcriptional processes influence the body’s internal clock and its impact on sleep patterns.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have succeeded in printing uniformly sized droplets with a diameter of approximately 100 µm using a liquid film of fluorescent ink. This ink, with a viscosity roughly 100 times that of water, was irradiated with an optical vortex, resulting in prints of exceptional positional accuracy at the micrometer scale.

Concave, umbrella-like metal complexes provide space to enable the largest molecular rotor operational in the solid-state.

A recent discovery in spintronics could potentially transform future electronics. A group of researchers have revealed the key role of cobalt-tin-sulfur in reducing energy consumption, unlocking new possibilities for high-speed, low-power spintronic devices.

A team led by researchers at SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University has used neutron crystallography to image all of the atoms in a radical intermediate of a copper amine oxidase enzyme. They disclosed previously unknown details, such as precise conformational changes, that help to explain the enzyme's biochemistry. This work might help researchers engineer enzymes that facilitate unusual chemistry or are highly efficient at room temperature that are useful in chemical industry.

Researchers led by Osaka University developed a novel genome editing technique known as NICER, which results in significantly fewer off-target mutations than CRISPR/Cas9 editing. The technique uses a different type of enzyme that makes single-stranded “nicks” in the DNA. Repair of these nicks is more efficient and accurate than repair of double-strand breaks caused by the current CRISPR/Cas9 editing. This technique represents a novel approach for the treatment of genetic diseases caused by heterozygous mutations.

A reanalysis of studies on night shift naps reveals the ideal snoozing schedule that may help combat fatigue and drowsiness when staying up all night.

Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.

Scientists have found that extracellular calcium mediates the activation of a membrane protein that waves the flag signalling cell death

To address the lack of suitable training data for deep-learning semantic segmentation models in urban landscaping, researchers from Osaka University developed a method that generates a training dataset without the need for real images or a model of an existing city. The method, which is based on procedural modelling and image-to-image techniques, enables segmentation models to achieve comparable performance under some conditions at a fraction of the cost of real dataset generation.

Systematic copper doping boosts all-solar utilization in tungstic acid nanocrystals.

An international team of scientists has successfully conducted large-scale helicopter-based observations along the coast of East Antarctica and has identified pathways through which warm ocean water flows from the open ocean into ice shelf cavities for the first time.

Patients with a specific form of chronic indigestion react differently to images of food, compared to healthy control subjects or patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

A research team led by researchers from Osaka University created an aluminum-nitride device that can convert visible light into deep-ultraviolet light through the process of second harmonic generation. This work can lead to the development of practical devices that can sterilize surfaces with ultraviolet radiation while using less energy.

Elusive fundamental particles called neutrinos are predicted to interact unexpectedly with photons under extreme conditions.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a measurement technique that rapidly measures the number of viable bacteria in food products. They have succeeded in drastically reducing the inspection time from 2 days to about 1 hour. With this technology, it will be possible to confirm food safety before shipment from factories and prevent food poisoning.