An Osaka Metropolitan University researcher and policy planners from Sakai City investigated the effect of a train fare subsidy program on daily walking steps. The results revealed that the intervention group subsidized with 1000 redeemable points significantly increased daily walking steps by 711.43 steps/day for prime-aged adults.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have achieved high-resolution visualization of cellular organelles, such as nuclei and mitochondria, using an external apodized phase contrast (ExAPC) microscope. By effectively suppressing halo artifacts—false images caused by light diffraction—the technique reveals the tightly regulated and remarkably stable movement, spatial arrangement, and morphology of these organelles. The team also observed unlabeled biomolecular condensate-like structures whose molecular components remain unidentified.

A collaborative research team from the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), the University of Tokyo, Kyushu University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory has, for the first time, directly and precisely measured changes in the internal electric potential of a fusion plasma under conditions similar to those expected in fusion reactors.

 

This achievement establishes a new method for in situ evaluation of plasma confinement states, providing key insights for the control and performance optimization of next-generation fusion reactors. The internal plasma potential plays a crucial role in determining how effectively energy is confined within the plasma. By combining advanced accelerator technology with non-contact plasma diagnostics, the researchers have opened a new path toward direct understanding of the behavior of fusion-core plasmas.

The University of Osaka D3 Center and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) have jointly commenced a demonstration aimed at the application of a wide-area distributed campus AI processing platform that enables on-demand use of GPU’s from compute servers. This demonstration will leverage NEC's "ExpEther," a technology that transmits signals from IT equipment with high reliability and low latency, to build a high-performance AI processing platform that can connect and disconnect compute servers and GPUs on-demand, even when they are in different buildings across campus.

Cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers in women, is often treated with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, which can affect fertility and quality of life. Researchers at Chiba University have developed a new nasal therapeutic vaccine as a non-invasive treatment option. In animal studies, the vaccine produced strong and lasting immune responses against cervical tumors. If proven effective in humans, it could provide women with a safer, fertility-preserving alternative to current cancer treatments.

From medicine to agriculture and aquaculture, bacteriophages are poised to have a huge global impact. As viruses which target only bacterial cells, they hold promise as an alternative to antibiotics, overcoming increasing issues around antibiotic resistance. However, the size, complexity and growth conditions of phages make them difficult to study, limiting progress in the field. Now in Science Advances, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and University of Otago describe the bacteriophage Bas63 in unprecedented detail, supporting new mechanistic understanding into how these viruses function.

A research team at Hosei University and the University of Tokyo has achieved the world’s first stable production of edamame in an artificial light-type plant factory. Using the NFT hydroponic method, yields surpassed open-field cultivation while enhancing sugar and isoflavone content. This breakthrough enables year-round production of high-quality, nutritious edamame in diverse environments from urban buildings to deserts and even outer space, marking a significant step toward sustainable food systems and healthier diets.

Researchers have recorded hundreds of incidents of narwhal interaction with underwater recording devices, suggesting passive monitoring is not as non-invasive as previously assumed.

Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) has optimized how to run a large-scale genome analysis study over ten years – and they are now sharing their innovative techniques as a valuable resource to advance genome research.

Scientists at The University of Osaka developed a new 3D culture scaffold by integrating the strong cell-adhesive domain of laminin-511 into a clinically used fibrin gel, creating a chimeric protein called Chimera-511. This laminin-functionalized fibrin gel supports efficient 3D expansion of human iPS cells while maintaining pluripotency. As a chemically defined, xeno-free material, it offers a promising alternative to Matrigel and a potential platform for clinically applicable organoids and regenerative therapies.