Lifestyle-related diseases are rapidly increasing, particularly among the lower socioeconomic brackets of the society. To address this public health concern, Japan introduced the Specific Health Checkups and Specific Health Guidance policy in 2008. The policy mandates municipalities across Japan to standardize health checkups for all populations. This study explored how the policy and its resultant expansion in municipal healthcare funds have impacted health outcomes and lifestyle behaviors among self-employed and unemployed individuals.

A new framework for generative diffusion models was developed by researchers at Science Tokyo, significantly improving generative AI models. The method reinterpreted Schrödinger bridge models as variational autoencoders with infinitely many latent variables, reducing computational costs and preventing overfitting. By appropriately interrupting the training of the encoder, this approach enabled development of more efficient generative AI, with broad applicability beyond standard diffusion models.

A new class of highly efficient and scalable quantum low-density parity-check error correction codes, capable of performance approaching the theoretical hashing bound, has been developed by scientists at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. These novel error-correction codes can handle quantum codes with hundreds of thousands of qubits, potentially enabling large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing, with applications in diverse fields, including quantum chemistry and optimization problems.

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol”, remove excess cholesterol from the body’s tissues and transport it to the liver. This process is known to prevent atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in the walls of arteries. Atherosclerosis is associated with deadly symptoms, including heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, and blood clots. Despite the importance of HDLs, scientists still have a limited understanding of how they are made.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have applied stochastic optimal control theory to biological systems, studying how these systems behave. By using concepts and tools from information theory, they successfully converted the nonlinear optimization problem into a reasonably solvable form. The optimal control strategies for problems such as biodiversity and epidemics are found to exhibit “mode-switching” phenomena, where sharply transitioning from weak to strong control provides the most effective solution.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a multilayer cobalt catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide with stable efficiency. The work highlights how data-driven design and molecular stacking can open new directions for carbon recycling.

In a groundbreaking archaeological achievement, researchers from Kumamoto University have successfully reconstructed the structure of prehistoric fishing nets from the Jomon period (ca. 14,000–900 BCE) by analyzing impressions preserved in ancient pottery using advanced X-ray computed tomography (CT). This marks the first time in the world that nets from over 6,000 years ago have been digitally and physically resurrected in such detail.

An mRNA vaccine developed by researchers from Japan suppressed abnormal blood vessel growth or neovascularization in the retina of mouse models. Neovascularization is a condition that is caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss for elderly people. The vaccine can be delivered intramuscularly and is as effective as current therapies that require frequent eye injections, offering a more comfortable and easier-to-administer alternative for treating AMD and other neovascular eye diseases.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed SORA-DET, a lightweight and high-performance deep learning model for UAV-based remote sensing. By introducing innovative feature extraction and fusion techniques, SORA-DET achieves state-of-the-art detection accuracy while being up to 88% smaller and faster than conventional models. Its compact design enables real-time deployment directly on UAVs, making it highly effective for applications such as disaster response, search-and-rescue, and environmental monitoring.

Producing ammonia – a valuable chemical compound used in many fields – takes enormous amounts of energy. Researchers at Tohoku University have found a more efficient option that converts harmful pollutants in water to ammonia.