The sensation of controlling one’s body and things in the environment is known as sense of agency (SoA). Not only is SoA pivotal for tasks and well-being in everyday life, but its mechanisms have become increasingly important for the development of human-computer interfaces in new technology. This need has fueled research in this area, in particular to understand how SoA is generated from scratch in unfamiliar environments. Researchers at the University of Tokyo performed experiments involving hand-to-screen mapping using a specialized glove and highlighted the role of motor exploration in generating experience of self-agency. Their findings could contribute to future health and technology applications.

Parasitoid wasps sometimes lay eggs in unsuitable host insects, a behavior that has traditionally been considered accidental. However, researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that parasitism can still be successful in these cases—if another species of wasp lays eggs in the same host simultaneously. They have named this newly discovered parasitic strategy "pirate parasitism."

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a data-driven AI framework that gives scientists a head start by suggesting ideal candidate materials.

An Osaka Metropolitan University researcher examined the nonlinear multidimensional factors that correlate with population changes according to city size. The results indicate that population changes correlated with welfare expenditures in small and medium-sized cities.

Nagoya University researchers in Japan have found that drug effectiveness, alcohol tolerance, and carbohydrate metabolism change with the seasons. Their findings are based on a comprehensive seasonal gene expression map, which investigated over 54,000 genes in 80 tissues in monkeys across one year. The study has implications for drug prescription and precision medicine.

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has selected four deep-tech startups for its 8th Innovation Accelerator cohort, offering funding, mentorship, and research resources.
These ventures focus on fields like cancer treatment, disaster-resilient networks, sustainable aquaculture, and biowaste upcycling, aiming for global impact from Okinawa.

Researchers in Japan have developed a predictive model that could improve treatment decisions for advanced pancreatic cancer patients. By combining tumor marker readings with patients' genetic information, their model predicts patient survival outcomes with greater accuracy and better identifies candidates who would benefit from surgery. The researchers found that specific genetic variations have a greater impact on tumor marker levels than the severity of the cancer. 

It is expected that the new model will be used as an indicator to determine if surgery is a good option for patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The study was published in the British Journal of Surgery. 

On Jan. 1, 2024, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Japan, resulting in extensive damage in the region caused by uplift, when the land rises due to shifting tectonic plates. The observed uplift, however, varied significantly, with some areas experiencing as much as a 5-meter rise of the ground surface. To better understand how the characteristics of the affected fault lines impact earthquake dynamics, researchers in Japan used recently developed simulations to make a detailed model of the fault. The findings could help develop models to simulate scenarios of different earthquakes and mitigate disasters in the future.

A fiber sensor inspired by the shape of DNA, developed by researchers at Shinshu University, introduces a new design for more durable, flexible fiber sensors in wearables. Traditional fiber sensors have electrodes at both ends, which often fail under repeated movement when placed on body joints. The proposed double-helical design, however, places both electrodes on one end, allowing the sensor to endure repeated stretching and movement, effectively addressing a key limitation of conventional wearable sensors.