How deep is the deepest ocean—and how precisely can we actually measure it? A Japanese research team has mapped the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench using the EM124 multibeam echosounder aboard the research vessel Hakuho-maru.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers developed an AI-driven transfer-learning method that refines volume size factor predictions from first-principles calculations, enabling more reliable prediction of properties in previously unexplored alloy systems.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, SOKENDAI, and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences have revealed how CaMKIIα—a key brain protein involved in learning and memory—organizes itself into chain-like structures. Their study, published in Science Advances, shows how activation causes these protein structures to grow and how a mutation associated with neurodevelopmental disorders changes their organization, findings that could deepen our understanding of memory formation and neurological disease.　

 As new memories form the connections between brain cells can become stronger. A protein called CaMKIIα plays an important part in this process and is found in especially large amounts at the points where brain cells communicate. Scientists have long known that more of this protein gathers at active connections, but they have not been able to see clearly how the individual protein molecules come together.

Essential oil from underused Hinoki (Japanese cypress) roots may help improve sleep quality, according to a pilot study of middle-aged women. In a home-based crossover study, participants showed fewer nighttime awakenings, improved morning feelings, and brain-wave patterns suggesting smoother sleep onset. The findings also point to potential higher-value uses of forestry residues in aroma-based relaxation products.