Passive muscle stiffness is a risk factor for muscle strain injuries. Stretching, heat, and vibration have been evaluated on superficial muscles, but approaches for decreasing stiffness in deeper muscles remain unclear. In a recent study, researchers from Japan showed that 10 minutes of ultrasound stimulation can reduce stiffness in a deep calf muscle called the soleus, hinting at a promising non-invasive strategy for managing deep muscle stiffness, with potential future application in sports injury prevention.

Magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon in which magnetic fields in a plasma rapidly rearrange and release energy, is thought to drive explosive cosmic events such as solar flares. In a recent study, researchers from Japan used high-power lasers to recreate this process under controlled conditions and track its evolution. Their results showed that, despite substantially different plasma conditions, reconnection proceeded at a similar rate, suggesting that this rate is primarily governed by local physics in the reconnection region

A team of researchers including those from the University of Tokyo spotted a rare kind of planet that’s unusually hot and eccentric. TOI-1355 b orbits its star TOI-1355, which is also much hotter than our sun, in a strange way and incredibly quickly at around two Earth days. This unusual orbit could provide a rare opportunity to study this class of planet and how they move and evolve. But the evolving orbit of the planet means it won’t be possible to observe it after around 2033. 

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team investigated the prevalence and characteristics of mcr-positive Enterobacteriaceae in retail meat in Thailand following the national ban on prophylactic colistin use in food producing animals.

Cells rely on complex signaling networks in which different molecular pathways communicate with one another. Small GTPases act as molecular switches in these networks, controlling diverse cellular processes such as intracellular transport and cell morphogenesis. Although crosstalk between different families of small GTPases is established in animal cells, whether and how such crosstalk occurs in plants has remained largely unknown.

A research team led by Associate Professor Emi Ito and Professor Takashi Ueda at the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), together with collaborators at Ochanomizu University, Kyoto Prefectural University, Saitama University, Nagoya University, and RIKEN, has now uncovered a molecular mechanism that connects two distinct types of small GTPases in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The study was published in Nature Plants.

The researchers identified a protein called REAP1/SWAP70 that links RAB5, a small GTPase involved in intracellular membrane trafficking, with ROP7, a member of the plant-specific ROP (Rho of Plants) family of small GTPases involved in processes such as cell morphogenesis. Their findings reveal a previously unknown RAB5–REAP1–ROP7 signaling pathway and show that this pathway plays an important role in normal pollen development.

Stabilized construction-generated soil is often too alkaline for reuse, while neutralization depends on curing conditions. Although aeration curing is the cheapest way to lower alkalinity, there has been no guidance on when to begin it. Now, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology reveal that immediate aeration is preferable when neutralization is the priority, whereas a sealed period is useful when added strength is needed, providing a practical scheduling framework for soil-recycling operations.

A digitally fabricated guide, developed by researchers at Science Tokyo, captures and reproduces the spatial relationship between a musician’s lips and an air-reed instrument, such as a shakuhachi flute. By combining facial and intraoral scans using CAD and 3D printing, the team created a lightweight positioning guide based on an experienced player’s embouchure. The application demonstrates how digital prosthodontic workflows could provide physical spatial references for musical training and other extraoral applications. 

Excess fat accumulation in the liver can contribute to the development and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), highlighting the need for new approaches to manage the condition. Now, researchers have found that hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA), a bile acid, can reduce liver fat in mice while also identifying the biological pathways involved. The findings suggest that HDCA could help inform the development of new approaches to managing MASLD.

Rust usually takes months or years to form naturally, but researchers at Tohoku University found a way to speed it up dramatically. By blasting iron powder in water with ultrasound, they triggered the formation of spinel-type iron oxide nanoparticles in as little as 24 hours, no chemicals required. The technique could offer a greener route to materials used in magnets, catalysts, and biomedical applications.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that the crystal structure of zirconia nanoparticles remains stable under uniform pressure applied from all directions but changes under anisotropic pressure. This unique property is expected to lead to new technologies for detecting and evaluating pressure anisotropy, which has been difficult to assess using conventional methods.