Tokyo, Japan – A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Tohoku University and Orbray Co., Ltd., using heteroepitaxial diamond materials developed by Orbray, have shown that lab-grown diamonds might realize a radiation dosimeter compatible with both medical diagnosis and radiation therapy. They demonstrated that a diamond-based dosimeter could accurately measure doses in the same energy range as diagnostic X-rays, with far better sensitivity per volume than conventional detectors. Using the same device for dosimetry during both diagnosis and therapies could enable improved consistency.

The mysterious origin of an impressive cloud disturbance on Venus has now been revealed by a team including the University of Tokyo. Researchers used numerical models to show that an enormous 6,000-kilometer-wide atmospheric wave front, which circumnavigates the planet for days at a time, is caused by a large “hydraulic jump.” This is when a fluid abruptly slows down, changing from shallow and fast to deep and slow. On Venus, a sudden change in airflow in the lower cloud region is coupled with the creation of a strong updraft, forcing sulfuric acid vapor higher into the atmosphere where it condenses into a massive line of cloud. Future planetary studies can consider the potential impacts of this process, and what it might mean for any exploratory missions.   

Scientists have demonstrated a fiber-optic sensing method that detects strain and displacement by reading interference patterns in the electrical spectrum after photodetection. The approach uses modal delay in polymer optical fibers and may support faster, simpler sensing systems.

Japan is often described as a highly secular country, yet millions who identify as “nonreligious,” participate in Shinto and Buddhist rituals. To shed light on this paradox, researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative survey, examining religious identity, ritual participation, and beliefs simultaneously. Their findings reveal that religiosity in Japan is rooted in cultural habits and inherited traditions, and that small changes in question wording can dramatically shift the estimates of how religious the population.

A research team from the Urban and Transportation Systems Laboratory, Department of Architecture and Urban Systems, Toyohashi University of Technology (lead researcher: Dr. Mustafa Mutahari), has developed a quantitative policy evaluation framework for assessing how cities can attract startups while maintaining high living standards. In this study, the team evaluated the startup ecosystem under an air-front smart city using a model that integrates Quality of Life (QOL), Quality of Business (QOB), and accessibility from both digital and physical dimensions, and revealed that policy, accessibility, and QOL are the key determinants. This research was conducted as part of the JST e-ASIA Joint Research Program, an international collaborative project involving Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, and the findings have been published in Smart Cities, an international academic journal.

A surprising breakthrough in anti-aging research raises hopes of delaying muscle aging and weakness by harnessing the potential of a garlic-derived compound, S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC). Researchers identify a key role for S1PC in orchestrating a key inter-organ communication between fat tissue and the hypothalamus in the brain, thus supporting muscle function in aged mice. Elements of this signaling mechanism were also observed in humans, highlighting the potential of S1PC-based anti-aging interventions.

Circularly polarized luminescent materials emitting red to near-infrared light are of interest for technologies such as 3D displays and bioimaging. However, achieving high emission efficiency, stability, and durability simultaneously has remained a challenge. In a recent study, researchers at Kyushu University developed a new series of small luminescent radicals with exceptional photoluminescence efficiency and photostability. Their work demonstrates how a favorable electronic structure, chirality, and light emission can be achieved in a single molecular system.

A large-scale study of more than 31,000 patients found pneumonia occurred more often after breathing tubes were removed than during ventilation. Researchers say the condition, tied to swallowing dysfunction, should be recognized as a distinct clinical entity—one that may be preventable with early intervention.