The distinctive male pregnancy in seahorses is supported by specialized physiological adaptations as demonstrated by a new report showing the expression and localization of Rh glycoproteins in the brood pouch that nourishes the embryos. The study proposes that the metabolic waste, ammonia, is transported out from the brood pouch to the gills through the paternal bloodstream, via the Rh proteins, before being excreted into seawater. This improved understanding will benefit seahorse conservation and breeding efforts.

ALS is a disease where, in most cases, a protein forms aggregates in neurons, which leads to the rapid loss of motor control and death. A Nagoya University research team has discovered in human neuron cell cultures and mice an unexpected defense mechanism neurons switch on to avoid the aggregations, offering a new potential path to developing a treatment.

Underground sewer pipes are essential to our cities, but because they're difficult to access, detecting damage before it leads to major problems isn't easy. To address this, researchers at Tohoku University have developed a new method that uses bacteria found in wastewater and computer models to identify pipes at risk of severe corrosion. This could help cities spot problems earlier and prioritize inspections. 

The patterns that make up the weaves in textiles are seemingly endless. Certain patterns produce different qualities, such as making a material better at allowing sound to travel through it. But given the vast arrangement possibilities, testing each pattern arrangement can be a never-ending process. Now, a research team has developed an AI-assisted method to sift through the pattern possibilities.

Dr. Duragadevi Elamaran (currently an assistant professor at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, India) and Prof. Daisuke Kiriya have developed a planar molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) memtransistor whose memory behavior is controlled at the metal-semiconductor contacts rather than by modifying the MoS₂ channel itself. By selectively treating the contact regions with gold chloride (AuCl₃), the team created interfacial states that reversibly trap and release charge, changing carrier injection through the contact barrier. The device showed gradual resistive switching and several forms of synaptic plasticity under drain-voltage operation. As a proof of concept for temporal information processing, a single memtransistor was used with time-multiplexed virtual nodes to distinguish normal and ventricular ectopic electrocardiogram (ECG) signals from the MIT–BIH arrhythmia database.

Small snakes called dwarf reedsnakes can escape danger by rolling rapidly along the ground. Researchers investigated how they perform this unusual form of locomotion using multi-angle video analyses. The results show that the snakes use precisely coordinated body movements that keep their heads facing the direction of travel and at a relatively stable height, even as the posterior body undergoes large rotational movements. The findings show how behavioral innovation can enable animals to achieve locomotor capabilities that would be difficult to predict from body shape alone.

Researchers from the University of Osaka uncovered the first steps of disease development in ANCA-associated autoimmune glomerulonephritis. Injured kidney cells send signals to attract immune cells, including neutrophils, and induce inflammation. The researchers tested the effects of modified antibodies on halting disease progression in a mouse model, showing that the modified antibodies successfully reduced kidney injury. The findings offer hope for a potential treatment aimed at stopping the disease at its earliest stage.

Kyushu University researchers have developed an AI-based method to measure how closely corporate disclosures match the ESG issues that matter financially to each industry. Applied to Japan’s food and beverage sector, it showed that companies place greater emphasis on social-related topics, while environmental disclosure remains relatively limited. Priorities also shifted as reporting requirements changed. The study offers insights for investors, firms, and standard setters seeking to evaluate and design effective sustainability reporting regimes.

Students at Okayama University of Science in Japan have launched a campus food drive to reduce food waste and support local families. Working with Food Bank Okayama, the initiative collects donated food and connects it with community organizations that provide meals and assistance to people in need.

Drainage networks that carry rainwater toward rivers play an important role in floods, but their extent is often difficult to represent in flood models. Researchers from Tokyo University of Science simulated the 2023 flood in Japan's Ichinomiya River Basin using seven drainage network configurations to determine how far upstream channels should be modeled. The findings show that flood models can lose accuracy when drainage networks are either oversimplified or represented in excessive detail.