An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team studied the wall structure of MCM-48 and the Ar adsorption process in the mesopores of MCM-48 using MEM analysis of in situ powder XRD intensities recorded during gas adsorption to show that the adsorption process can be monitored through variations in the electron density distribution. 

Discovering new catalysts to power hydrogen production often involves a time-consuming trial-and-error process. Not only that, but materials scientists often have to comb through troves of scientific data and experimental data. Yet these days may be over thanks to a new AI-powered platform that enables researchers to identify new catalysts for methane pyrolysis— a promising technology for producing hydrogen with lower carbon emissions.

Cryo-electron transmission microscopy helps scientists observe biological specimens in a state that closely resembles their natural environment, especially those dispersed in water. But applying the technique outside of aqueous systems has proved relatively difficult. However, researchers at Tohoku University have created a new technique that enabled cryo-TEM to be applied to frozen methanol, opening a new avenue for studying materials in a wider variety of natural states.

Mechanoluminescent materials, which convert mechanical energy into light, are great for self-powered sensors. However, they have traditionally been made using rare earth materials or complex material compositions, making them relatively expensive to manufacture. Now, a research team has developed a zinc oxide material that not only possesses highly sensitive mechanoluminescence but is made from cheap, earth-abundant materials.

Understanding how galaxies formed requires studying the neutral gas that fueled early star formation, but detecting this component is difficult. In a recent study, an international research team leveraged measurements from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to detect a direct tracer of neutral gas in star-forming galaxies seen as they were 700 to 800 million years after the Big Bang, enabling detailed analysis of their star-forming conditions.

Researchers at Kanazawa University identified dopamine-driven neural mechanisms of motivation in a mouse model of behavioral addiction, offering insights into treatment.

A research group led by Dr. Keiko Ueno, Assistant Professor at the Innovative Clinical Research Center, Kanazawa University, has revealed the status of collaboration between fire-based emergency medical service (EMS) agencies ^*1) and community-based long-term care ^*2), welfare ^*3), and health organizations ^*4) in Japan. The study identified six key practical measures essential for building a collaborative model that sustains long-term coordination between medical care and social support needs.

An international research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University researchers evaluated the impacts of urban heat island mitigation strategies on both indoor and outdoor thermal environments in an educational facility located in Shahrud, Iran, a city characterized by extremely hot summers.

What components of elaborate pair dances serve mutual signals? Japanese researchers revealed that the sequence and timing of behaviors play a crucial role in the pair dances of the red-crowned cranes. The study provides a novel framework for identifying the structure of bidirectional communication in animals. These results were published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that gradually affects a person's ability to move, speak, and breathe. It advances differently in every patient. Now, researchers at Nagoya University have developed an AI tool that uses data from patient follow-up studies to estimate the speed of disease progression and identify patterns of muscle decline. The study was published in npj Digital Medicine.