A research team at Saitama University has developed a concise method for synthesizing structurally defined ladder-type oligothiophenes, sulfur-containing molecular frameworks that are important in organic semiconductor research. By precisely controlling the orientation of thiophene rings, the team successfully synthesized all 14 target ladder-type regioisomers based on thienothiophene, dithienothiophene, and trithienothiophene frameworks, opening new possibilities for the molecular design of organic electronic materials.

A compact 300-GHz-band 4×4 bi-directional phased-array transceiver in 65-nm CMOS has been developed, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. While free space path loss is a significant challenge for the 300-GHz-band in wireless systems, this development can mitigate the problem, resulting in significant advancement in 6G wireless communication. 

Urban redevelopment in densely populated areas often involves removing existing piles, backfilling boreholes, and installing new piles. Strength differences between backfilled soil and original ground can lead to drilling deviations, compromising building integrity and leading to economic losses. However, current countermeasures are based on experience-based judgements. In a new study, researchers present a new quantitative framework for evaluating drilling instability induced by backfilling, offering practical guidelines for improving resource efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

RNA design is central to next-generation therapeutics, yet identifying sequences that reliably fold into desired structures remains a major computational challenge, often constrained by high cost and time. A new study from Keio University explores the use of factorization machine with quadratic-optimization annealing (FMQA) for RNA inverse folding, while also examining how different encoding strategies may influence artificial intelligence (AI)-driven design performance, revealing an underexplored dimension of biomolecular engineering.

A strategy encompassing simultaneous coprecipitation and oxidation has allowed the synthesis of highly oxidized amorphous precursors for BiNi₁₋ₓFeₓO₃. This approach overcomes conventional challenges by reducing environmental impact, improving safety, and reducing synthesis time by generating a highly oxidized amorphous precursor, allowing for a more efficient and controlled production of advanced functional oxides.

An AI assistant for high-entropy alloy (HEA) electrocatalysis named ChatHEA provided a helping hand not just to extract data from the literature, but provide suggestions for promising catalysts, design experiments, and analyze data.

Kyoto, Japan -- Forests are shaped by light competition. The trees that grow the tallest have access to the most sunlight, blocking the rays and rendering the shaded space around them inhospitable to shorter trees below. In this stem exclusion phase of forest succession, the shorter trees often die. Yet scientists have observed that in old growth forests, trees of vastly different sizes successfully coexist, proving that reaching the top of the canopy is not the sole winning strategy for survival in a forest environment.

The height diversity of trees in mature forests indicates that light competition and species coexistence can balance out in forest succession. To understand how, quantifying light competition among trees is essential, but the complex architectural structures of natural forests and individual crowns have hindered rigorous scientific evaluation. A team of researchers from Kyoto University resolved to take on the challenge and solve this mystery.

"The competition for light among trees is frequently referred to as an evolutionary arms race, but trees of vastly different sizes successfully coexist in mature forests," says first author Yusuke Onoda. "We became interested in this paradox."

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed an improved technique called “tapping-mode scanning probe electrospray ionization” (t-SPESI), allowing the analysis of regions within individual cells with greater sensitivity and stability. Through device miniaturization and molecular modification of the probe surface, the team achieved higher sensitivity and long-term stability, successfully visualizing lipid distributions in mouse brain tissue at a pixel size of 5 µm.