The hepatitis C virus -- HCV -- can persist in the livers of those infected and even lead to liver disease or failure in extreme cases. It affects tens of millions of people worldwide and there is no vaccine to prevent infection, but effective treatment can resolve most cases.

Until about a decade ago, hepatitis C infection was difficult to cure because treatment relied on prolonged interferon injections with severe side effects. The advent of oral direct-acting antivirals, or DAAs, revolutionized care for HCV. However, whether clearing HCV would also alleviate chronic immune activation remained uncertain, especially in people living with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, whose immune systems are already under strain.

This uncertainty is exacerbated by inequalities in research and care across international borders. Previous research on the immunological effects of DAAs has largely originated from the Global North and involved patients from those regions. None existed from Southeast Asia where viral strains, methods of transmission, host genetics, and access to care differ. This motivated a collaborative team of researchers from Kyoto University and the University of Indonesia to address this knowledge gap.

Researchers have developed a noninvasive, computer-mediated spinal stimulation system that allows individuals with chronic spinal cord injury and paraplegia to regain volitional control of stepping movements. These findings highlight a promising approach for gait rehabilitation without surgery. The study was published online in Brain on November 26, 2025.

Dark matter does not interact with electromagnetic force and does not absorb, emit or reflect light, making it difficult to observe directly. The presence of dark matter has only been inferred through observations of galaxies and galaxy clusters moving at higher rates of speed than should be possible based on their mass. A researcher has detected gamma rays from the central region of the Milky Way galaxy that are consistent with the energy and intensity that would be emitted by the annihilation of two weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, that are proposed to make up dark matter. If the anaylsis is correct, this could signify the first time that dark matter has been directly observed since it was first proposed in 1933.

Researchers have discovered that ferroelectric fluids can harness an overlooked transverse electrostatic force (TEF) to rise over 80 mm, without magnets or high voltages. By exploiting the fluid’s spontaneous polarization and exceptionally high dielectric constant, they achieved a strong TEF, previously thought unattainable in conventional electrostatics. This breakthrough enables creation of a lightweight, magnet-free motor, opening possibilities for compact, energy-efficient actuators and suggesting a transformative approach to converting electrical energy into mechanical motion at low voltages.

Perovskites are promising materials for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). Recently, a team of researchers from Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, has designed Ca-modified BaTiO₃ as a promising catalyst for this reaction. Ca forms unique reduced structural motifs on the surface of BaTiO₃, facilitating the generation of reactive oxygen species and promoting methane activation. This technology can guide the development of new catalysts for OCM and other organic reactions.

Nagoya University researchers and their collaborators have found that minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery significantly reduces blood loss and improves jaundice recovery compared to traditional open surgery for treating biliary atresia—a serious liver condition in newborns. The study, published in Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition, also found that high-dose steroid therapy after surgery does not necessarily improve outcomes for treating this condition. Biliary atresia affects 1 in 15,000 newborns and is the leading cause of liver transplants in children. It occurs when bile ducts become blocked or do not develop properly, which prevents effective liver function and leads to progressive damage. What causes this blockage is unknown, and surgery is usually performed within the first two to three months of birth when the condition is diagnosed.  

Kyoto, Japan -- It's astonishing to realize how innovative our ancestors were in food and beverage production before modern science and technology. Without understanding or isolating them, ancient peoples made use of yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the primary species behind the fermentation process that creates alcohol, though there are some non-Saccharomyces yeasts that can also produce alcohol with different characteristics.

While modern wineries typically use cultured S cerevisiae, it is thought that ancient wine production relied on the natural fermentation process of storing crushed grapes in jars. However, research has revealed that S cerevisiae rarely colonizes grape skins, casting doubt on the use of fresh grapes for alcohol fermentation.

This inspired a team of researchers from Kyoto University to investigate the humble raisin's ability to ferment into wine. In a previous study, the team had found that S cerevisiae was abundant on raisins, indicating that in ancient times they could have been used for wine production.

Early-stage gastric cancer can be assessed more accurately using a new liquid biopsy tool that predicts lymph node metastasis, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. They developed a model that uses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation biomarkers in plasma and computed tomography imaging to predict the risk of metastasis. This tool will help low-risk patients safely avoid unnecessary invasive surgery.

A new cross-national study reveals that happiness depends not only on perceived societal risk but also on the shape of happiness inequality. Using data from 32 countries in the World Values Survey, researchers show that when societal risk is high, subjective well-being drops more sharply, where many cluster at the lower end of the happiness distribution. The findings offer a fresh political–psychological understanding of why some societies remain resilient while others struggle under uncertainty.