In a world first, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have successfully developed a resonant tunnel diode (RTD) that operates at room temperature made entirely from Group IV semiconductor materials. The development of an RTD that operates at room temperature means the device could be deployed at scale for next-generation wireless communication systems. The use of only non-toxic Group IV semiconductor materials also supports more sustainable manufacturing processes.

Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have developed a mathematical model that recreates the muscle movements of the esophagus that occur during swallowing. The model, reported in Royal Society Open Science, also replicates muscle dynamics seen in various esophageal motility disorders, revealing insights into their underlying causes and opening up new avenues for treatment.

While the importance of rescue breathing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (RB-CPR) in pediatrics has long been recognized, its implementation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its impact on the survival of pediatrics with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains unknown. Now, researchers from the Okayama University revealed that a decline in RB-CPR is associated with an increased death rate, highlighting the importance of rescue breathing in pediatrics and the need for better training and public awareness.

Depression is often linked to changes in facial expressions. However, the link between mild depression, known as subthreshold depression, and changes in facial expressions remains unclear. Now, researchers have investigated whether subthreshold depression shows changes in facial expressions in Japanese young adults using artificial intelligence. The findings reveal distinct muscle movement patterns related to depressive symptoms which may help detect depression early, paving the way for timely and preventative mental health care.

Taste receptors are specialized proteins that facilitate the sense of taste. There are different groups of receptors for detecting different tastants. Understanding the structure of these receptors will help in elucidating their function. 25 different bitter taste receptors have been identified to date, out of which the 3D crystal structures of only three have been characterized. In this study, the researchers use an artificial intelligence-based structure prediction model to characterize the structure of these receptors.

Researchers at The University of Osaka and Kanazawa University have developed a novel method for analyzing cancer metabolism, revealing new insights into cancer's inefficient energy process. This breakthrough, published in Metabolic Engineering, combines biological experiments with advanced information science techniques to uncover the role of cancer-specific inefficient metabolism.

Tokyo, Japan – Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have determined the genetic lineage of a now extinct plant population from Nishinoshima, a volcanic island whose frequent eruptions periodically “reset” the vegetation. While they traced the lineage to a nearby island, they discovered distinct genetic quirks due to the rarity of seeds making it there, including a “founder’s effect”. Their findings offer a rare glimpse into the very earliest stages of ecosystem development in an isolated environment.

Kyoto, Japan -- The concept of quantum entanglement is emblematic of the gap between classical and quantum physics. Referring to a situation in which it is impossible to describe the physics of each photon separately, this key characteristic of quantum mechanics defies the classical expectation that each particle should have a reality of its own, which gravely concerned Einstein. Understanding the potential of this concept is essential for the realization of powerful new quantum technologies.

Developing such technologies will require the ability to freely generate a multi-photon quantum entangled state, and then to efficiently identify what kind of entangled state is present. However, when performing conventional quantum tomography, a method commonly used for state estimation, the number of measurements required grows exponentially with the number of photons, posing a significant data collection problem.

If available, an entangled measurement can identify the entangled state with a one-shot approach. Such a measurement for the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger -- GHZ -- entangled quantum state has been realized, but for the W state, the other representative entangled multi-photon state, it has been neither proposed nor discovered experimentally.

Earthquake-induced liquefaction of loose, sandy soil can be extensively damaging for built environment. In recent times, chemical grouting of the sand is being used as a method to enhance soil stability and reduce the risk of liquefaction. However, a standardized and effective method to test the resistance is necessary in order to refine the method. In this study, scientists explored the potential of stress-controlled and strain-controlled cyclic triaxial testing.