Ising machines are specialized computing systems designed to solve complex optimization problems by arranging “spins” to minimize system energy. However, their fully connected architecture leads to a large circuit footprint, limiting scalability. In a recent study, researchers from Japan developed a method to halve the required spin–spin interactions using a novel matrix-folding technique. Their findings will pave the way for highly scalable Ising machines, making them more practical for real-world applications.

Industrial gas separation, essential for clean energy and environmental protection, demands efficiency and adaptability. Current materials, however, lack the flexibility to selectively separate gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen (H₂) while remaining energy-efficient. Researchers at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS) at Kyoto University and the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University have developed a phase-transformable membrane that could meet these needs.

Researchers have developed a platinum-nickel core-shell catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions. The design improves efficiency and stability, addressing key challenges in catalyst performance, and could open the door to breakthroughs in renewable energy research. 

Osaka University researchers elucidated the molecular details of how Drosophila larval epidermal cells (LECs) undergo cell death in a controlled manner to regulate epithelial tissue remodeling. Specifically, lower activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway occurs following reduced endocytosis. Decreased EGFR pathway activity allows LECs to switch from undergoing single-cell apoptosis to more widespread cell death in clusters. This supports faster LEC elimination and allows for proper tissue remodeling.

This study investigated patients with primary lung cancer who received PET/CT scan, a medical imaging test, and subsequently underwent immunotherapy. The study quantitatively evaluated the degree of inflammation in lungs using AI analysis of PET/CT images. The results demonstrated that high degree of inflammation in lungs is related to high incidence of interstitial lung disease, a severe side effect of immunotherapy.

Herbal medicine is difficult to produce on an industrial scale. A team of Kobe University bioengineers manipulated the cellular machinery in a species of yeast so that one such molecule can now be produced in a fermenter at unprecedented concentrations. The achievement also points the way to the microbial production of other plant-derived compounds.

Destructive winds during storms and cyclones often cause tree failures, especially through uprooting and stem breakage. However, how trees respond to wind under various forest configurations and weather conditions remains unclear. A recent study on Cryptomeria japonica plots shows that trees dissipate wind energy by switching between two swaying behaviors at specific wind speeds, offering insights that may help in improved forest management to minimize damage caused by storms.

A research team, including members from the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo University of Science, and the National Institute for Materials Science, has released “HYPOD-X”, an extensive database for quasicrystals and their related materials called approximant crystals. Quasicrystals, with their unique ordered yet aperiodic atomic structures, exhibit distinctive physical properties, distinguishing them from conventional crystals. HYPOD-X is the first comprehensive database in this field, compiled through an extensive survey of a broad range of literature. This database is intended to serve as a foundation to advance data-driven research in quasicrystal science.

An international team led by researchers in Japan and Europe has discovered a new multi-planet system around a Sun-like star, including an ultra-short period planet with one of the highest densities ever measured. The findings, published in Nature Scientific Reports on 8 November, shed new light on the formation and evolution of planets in extreme environments. The newly discovered system, named K2-360, is located approximately 750 light-years from Earth. It consists of two planets orbiting a star similar to our Sun.