In August 2024, the World Health Organization declared a second “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” for mpox. The current outbreak in Africa is driven mainly by the clade I variant, with multiple countries reporting their first-ever mpox cases of this more severe strain. Nagoya University researchers and their collaborators have found that measuring the amount of virus in the blood when skin lesions first appear can help predict whether patients will experience mild or severe progression of the disease. The study analyzes viral loads during early infection to predict how sick patients will get, potentially improving treatment strategies for future outbreaks. 

The ratio of second and fourth finger lengths—2D:4D digit ratio—has long been linked to prenatal hormone exposure in humans. Researchers from Okayama University identified that it also predicts sexual activity in rats. Shorter second digits in male rats were linked to higher sexual activity and had greater preference for female scents. The study offers a non-invasive way to understand how fetal hormone environments shape brain development, with potential link between mind and behavior.

The entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) approach is often promoted for Africa’s growth, but Africa already has many entrepreneurs. Instead of increasing entrepreneurship, researchers argue for strategies drawn from East Asia’s development and Schumpeterian growth theory—both of which oppose EE thinking. These approaches suggest that Africa should focus on building large, productive firms and absorbing existing technologies, rather than relying on start-ups, to achieve long-term, sustainable economic development.

During therapy, some cancer cells evolve to escape elimination. Newer anticancer drugs that can overcome this resistance are necessary. Now, researchers from Japan demonstrate that aromatic benzaldehyde inhibits the growth of therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer. By preventing various signaling proteins and histone modifiers like Ser²⁸-phosphorylated histone H3 (H3S28ph) from binding to 14-3-3ζ protein, benzaldehyde overcomes therapy resistance and blocks plasticity to prevent the spread of cancer. These findings highlight its potential in cancer treatment.

The prevailing view in quantum physics has been that spin angular momentum determines how particles align in magnetic fields. Now, a breakthrough study led by researchers from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, reveals that under strong magnetic fields, orbital motion becomes dominant and reverses the direction of angular momentum. These findings point to promising new directions in quantum physics and pave the way for emerging technologies in the field of orbitronics.

Researchers have explored how  artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping scientists identify catalysts for methane pyrolysis, a reaction that produces hydrogen without emitting carbon dioxide.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have revealed that releasing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site have negligible short- and long-term effects on tritium concentrations in the ocean, which remain well below international safety standards.

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) in Japan have used artificial intelligence to dramatically speed up the processing time when simulating galaxy evolution coupled with supernova explosion. This approach could help us understand the origins of our own galaxy, particularly the elements essential for life in the Milky Way.

Researchers discover high-velocity clouds in the nearby spiral galaxy M83. These clouds are moving at speeds significantly different to the galaxy’s overall speed of rotation. The findings suggest that these clouds likely originated outside the galaxy, offering new insights into how galaxies acquire fresh gas and sustain star formation over billions of years. This hints at how our own galaxy evolved and may evolve in the future.