Spintronics devices will be key to realizing faster and more energy-efficient computers. To give us a better understanding of how to make them, a Kobe University team now showed how different manufacturing techniques influence the material properties of a key component.

Associate Professor Yusuke Imoto at Kyoto University has developed iRECODE, a comprehensive computational method that removes noise from single-cell data, revealing the true activity of individual cells. By removing both technical noise and batch noise, iRECODE allows scientists to detect rare cell populations and subtle changes that were previously hidden, bringing single-cell analysis closer to telling the real story of each cell.

Two healthcare workers get COVID-19 vaccinations on the same day. Both show strong antibody responses initially, but six months later one stays healthy while the other contracts the virus. A new study published in Science Translational Medicine could help explain this difference. Researchers tracked individuals’ antibody levels after vaccinations and identified four distinct patterns of immune response after the first booster vaccination. Notably, the group that started with the highest antibody levels but experienced a faster decline were infected earlier. People with lower blood levels of IgA(S) antibodies, which protect the nose and throat, were also at higher risk. The findings suggest that monitoring how antibody levels change over time could assist in identifying individuals at greater risk of infection.

Increased consumption of high-fat foods has been linked to cognitive decline. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unclear. A new study by researchers from Chiba University, Japan, finds that a high-fat diet (HFD) impairs intermediate-term memory formation in Drosophila by decreasing autophagic activity. Further, HFD-induced memory deficits can be reversed by enhancing autophagic activity, opening avenues for the development of preventive treatments and autophagy-promoting lifestyle interventions to preserve cognitive function.

Layered sodium manganese oxides (Na_2/3MnO₂) are promising cathode materials for developing high-capacity sodium-ion batteries. However, they suffer from severe capacity fading during cycling. In a new study, researchers systematically investigated how scandium doping can improve the cycling stability of P’2 polytype of Na_2/3MnO₂, revealing a new design strategy for developing long-life and high-capacity sodium-ion batteries for commercial applications.

New research shows how faint radio signals from the early Universe, soon to be detected by Moon missions, could reveal dark matter's secrets. Computer simulations revealed how gas cooled and formed clumps through gravitational interactions with dark matter during the cosmic Dark Ages.

Kyoto, Japan -- Online platforms promise connection, yet the social comparison, digital surveillance, and public criticism they foster can also heighten emotional instability. Recently, these platforms have even intensified global challenges by fueling misinformation-driven unrest and deepening emotional divides. These dynamics have been linked to rising levels of distress, fear, and trauma, often shaped by collective outrage and transient narratives.

While current psychiatry offers various approaches to address individual distress, the field remains relatively under-equipped to understand the networked nature of digital mental health. Buddhist philosophy, on the other hand, envisions reality as a fluid web of interdependent relationships: a view closely aligned with digital interconnectedness.

This realization inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to explore a perspective which has received limited attention in clinical psychology. They imagined it could serve as a meaningful bridge between therapeutic care and the shared complexities of virtual life.

In a world first, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have successfully developed a resonant tunnel diode (RTD) that operates at room temperature made entirely from Group IV semiconductor materials. The development of an RTD that operates at room temperature means the device could be deployed at scale for next-generation wireless communication systems. The use of only non-toxic Group IV semiconductor materials also supports more sustainable manufacturing processes.

Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have developed a mathematical model that recreates the muscle movements of the esophagus that occur during swallowing. The model, reported in Royal Society Open Science, also replicates muscle dynamics seen in various esophageal motility disorders, revealing insights into their underlying causes and opening up new avenues for treatment.