Health

Blocking an immune-regulating protein reverses the damage caused by acute and chronic kidney disease, a preclinical study suggests.

A new microscopic technique allows for the real-time study of RNA G-quadruplexes in living cells, with implications for the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a robot that can melt and reform, artificial skin that can sense objects before touching them, and the pause and reversal of the planet’s inner core’s spin.

New research found that periodontitis, a common gum infection known to worsen other systemic diseases, could also be linked to atrial fibrosis — potentially clarifying its previously unknown connection with atrial fibrillation.

Overeating mechanism: why "eating just one chip"🍟 is impossible, Measuring hidden energy of gamma-ray bursts, Marine species that can adapt to ocean acidification & A rough start can lead to a strong bond, Read all in our first Editor's Choice of 2023. Plus our interview on what dengue vaccine approval in EU💉means for global dengue protection.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how high-speed atomic force microscopy can be used to assess the effectivity of spike-neutralizing antibodies for preventing COVID-19. The use of such antibodies offers a promising alternative to vaccines.

An Osaka Metropolitan University research group recorded the autonomic nervous system activity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy subjects using a wearable device and a proprietary smartphone application to record daily life events such as defecation and sleep. As a result, they found that sympathetic nervous system activity was activated in IBS patients from 2 minutes before defecation and continued until 9 minutes after defecation. Further research is expected to improve the quality of life of IBS patients and elucidate the pathophysiology.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists delved into the relationship between gait function and knee extension velocity after total knee arthroplasty and compared the effects of various factors on walking. The results reveal that knee extension velocity, measured while seated, on the operated side was the most important determinant of gait function. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of new rehabilitation programs for efficient gait function improvement.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how mysterious enormous space bubbles are formed, how drinking sweet drinks might contribute to hair loss, and a synthetic tissue created to give pigs back their erectile function.

Researchers from Osaka University found that dietary supplementation with tricaprin results in coronary artery plaque regression and resolution of symptoms in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy, a treatment-resistant form of coronary artery disease. These findings represent a conceptually novel treatment for coronary atherosclerosis that paves the way toward establishing a multi-faceted approach to caring for patients with this condition.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a team trying to decipher dolphins’ secret language, why babies move so much in the womb, and a small enzyme that can control our sleep.

Taking Hong Kong’s famous Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak offers stunning views of its central business district, Victoria Harbor, and the surrounding islands. But a team of international scientists has recently discovered that the trams winding journey provides a previously unrecognized situation where our vertical perception gets distorted.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how a wasp uses its genitals to defend itself, a compound commonly found in mushrooms that could delay cognitive decline, and sunshine as a cure for myopia.

Scientists reveal genetic mechanism associated with high-calorie food-fueled obesity

The ability to see what’s happening inside the body in real-time and at a high resolution is a capability that ultrasound grants orthopedists at a low cost to patients. Ultrasound-guided diagnosis, however, remains relatively new in the field. Dr. Yuko Nakashima is here to change that for Japan with the help of her fellow “e-girls.”

A research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University has revealed a difference in neural activity in response to visual food stimuli, depending on whether those stimuli are presented consciously or unconsciously. Using a questionnaire to assess the study participants, the team found that this difference was associated with their scores on eating behaviors, including emotional eating and cognitive restraint of food intake. These results indicate that eating behavior cannot be understood without taking into account both unconscious and conscious neural processes.

Wearing face masks has been recognised as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even in its coming endemic phase. Apart from the conventional function of masks, the potential for smart masks to monitor human physiological signals is being increasingly explored. A research team led by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently invented a smart mask, integrating an ultrathin nanocomposite sponge structure-based soundwave sensor, which is capable of detecting respiratory sounds of breathing, coughing and speaking.

Researchers have designed and synthesized analogs of a new antibiotic that is effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria, opening a new front in the fight against these infections.

Researchers from Osaka University found that the “belief in just deserts”, which is the idea that infected individual deserves to be infected, was associated with attitudes about government restrictions during public health emergencies in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. This information could lead to new strategies for combating discrimination, prejudice, and stigma against COVID-19 patients.

An Osaka Metropolitan University scientist measured the light transmittance of the eyelids when the eyes are closed, and found that perceived closed-eye brightness is significantly stronger than previously reported. The influence of color was also observed, with red light perceived as brighter and blue light perceived as darker. Additionally, there were significant differences between experimental participants; for some, their perception of brightness barely differed between open- and closed-eye conditions.

In baseball, even the smallest detail can tip the scales in favor of the batter or the pitcher. A recent publication has highlighted how rosin powder helps maintain a more constant friction when pitching, something that could bring about a fairer playing field in Major League Baseball.

Researchers led by Osaka University generated a time-stamping method to trace the development and survival of plasma cells in the bone marrow and spleen. Using a mouse model in which plasma cells were fluorescently labeled in an inducible manner, they found that plasma cells were continuously replenished by new cells, a small portion of which differentiated into long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs). These findings may aid in the development of new vaccines that efficiently induce LLPCs.

Revelations about the mechanisms of two key proteins which maintain the asymmetric distribution of cholesterol within the cell membrane could help understand and treat diseases linked to its imbalance

Silencing the gene, called WWP2, in patients in the early stages of cardiomyopathy could delay progression to heart failure by controlling immune cell infiltration and activation, and halting the formation of excessive scar tissue, preclinical data suggest.

− The European Commission Approved QDENGA (TAK-003) for Use in Individuals Four Years of Age and Older [i] − QDENGA Becomes the Only Dengue Vaccine Approved in the EU for Use in Individuals Regardless of Previous Dengue Exposure [i]

Giants in History: Chinese-American virologist and molecular biologist Flossie Wong-Staal (27 August 1946 – 8 July 2020) was the first scientist to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes.

World's first research into relationship between rich-in-biodiversity garden greenery and health/well-being launched by University of Tokyo and Sekisui House Ltd.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a “smart ranch” featuring connected cows, a way to see what a 1 600-year-old woman looked like, and a new bird-like dinosaur.

What if you could tell if your surroundings contained COVID-19 particles or droplets the moment they or you entered the vicinity? This is now closer to reality. A research group has engineered a battery-less, self-powering device that can wirelessly transmit the detection of coronavirus in the air.

Therapeutically superior mesenchymal stem cells derived from the cranial bone offer hope in reversing paralysis and language impairment in moderate to severe cases of stroke.