The approach reduces the number of iterations before landing upon a feasible solution and then redefines the problem to drastically reduce solving time Bicycle sharing is an attractive zero-carbon transportation option for a world that is being increasingly disrupted by climate change. But bikes need to be restored at bike…

Researchers from Japan design a tunable physical reservoir device based on the dielectric relaxation at an electrode-ionic liquid interface Physical reservoir computing (PRC), which relies on the transient response of physical systems, is an attractive machine learning framework that can perform high-speed processing of time-series signals at low power. However…

KNT-127, a promising therapeutic, offers hope to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders by acting to suppress fearful memories Fearful events negatively impact the brain. For instance, war veterans often go through post-traumatic stress disorder months after the cessation of the triggering event. Now, in a study led by Tokyo…

“Scents” of Alarm: Volatile Chemical Signals from Damaged Plants Warn Neighbors about Herbivore Attacks Researchers discover the epigenetic mechanisms of volatile-signal-induced activation of defense genes in plants Animals often use highly specific signals to warn their herd about approaching predators. Surprisingly, similar behaviors are also observed among plants. Shedding more…

The new bacterial strain belongs to the group Candidatus phylum Dependentiae, a group of organisms that can only grow inside other cells Certain types of bacteria are unable to survive and thrive outside host organisms. This makes their isolation and identification technically challenging. Recently, a researcher from Tokyo University of…

Japanese researchers develop a nanoparticle-based drug delivery system from corn/maize to target cancer cells Nanomaterials have revolutionized the world of cancer therapy, and plant-derived nanoparticles have the added advantage of being cost-effective and easy to mass produce. Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have recently developed novel corn-derived bionanoparticles for…

New insight into a key protein could lead to novel treatments for diseases such as contact dermatitis and asthma The CCL17/TARC chemokine is involved in many immune-mediated diseases, and is a well-known biomarker of atopic dermatitis. However, the proteins that regulate CCL17 expression are not clear. Recently, scientists from Japan…

Scientists have developed a polymer-based hydrogel that can prevent pancreatic fistulae, a frequent complication of pancreatic surgery. An unnatural connection between the pancreas and adjacent organs, called a pancreatic fistula, is a common complication of pancreatic surgery. This condition can lead to infection, sepsis and in some cases be fatal…

Using a photocatalyst, scientists have identified the factors behind racemization process of chiral sulfoxides Chiral sulfoxides, molecules that contain sulfur centers that cannot be superimposed on their mirror images, have wide applications in the chemical industry. This ‘chirality’ of the molecules can make them extremely selective during reactions, which makes…