Kaleidocycles—rotating rings made from hinged tetrahedra, are of interest for origami engineering, controllable linkage systems, and mathematics education. However, proving their existence for an arbitrary number of units has remained a challenge. In a recent study, researchers at Kyushu University developed explicit mathematical formulae showing that Kaleidocycles can be successfully constructed from six or more connected tetrahedra, uniting origami mechanisms and geometry in one exact mathematical framework.

Stevia is a widely used sweetener, but why do some stevia varieties taste cleaner and more sugar-like than others? Recent research conducted at the University of Toyama shows that stevia’s sweetness is genetically linked to variations in specific glycosyltransferase genes and their cell-specific activity in leaves. By combining genetic analysis with cell-level imaging, the team uncovered how stevia produces its high-value sweet compounds, opening the door to better-tasting natural sweeteners for foods and beverages.

Kyoto, Japan -- Despite their crucial function, public hospitals often face limited resources and financial distress, and an aging population can further exacerbate any imbalances in medical resource distribution. Furthermore, the proportion of aging individuals is not uniform across the country; in Japan, this has lead to regional disparities in healthcare for the elderly.

Previous studies suggest that restructuring public hospitals, though challenging, can alleviate the mismatch in healthcare resources. At least compared to private hospitals, it is more feasible to align public hospitals with regional needs. However, such studies often adopt qualitative approaches while lacking quantitative evidence to measure the effects of reorganization. This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to examine the impact of public hospital restructuring on elderly hospital admissions in Japan.

"Many countries have reformed public hospitals to reduce resource imbalances, but there is limited information on the impact this has on communities and the regional healthcare system," says first author Kenji Kishimoto.

We don’t have time to count every fish in the ocean! Environmental DNA or eDNA allows us to see where fish live by analyzing DNA in seawater – such as from shed scales or skin. This Japan-wide eDNA survey conducted by the Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC), Tohoku University & JAMSTEC, revealed hidden factors of the ecological niches that affect shifts in fish distributions. 

A high-resolution cellular atlas of liver fibrosis and recovery identifies two proteins, SEMA4D and LMCD1, as promising therapeutic targets. The findings were validated in both mouse models and human patient samples, suggesting relevance to human disease.

Male strepsipterans develop inside a host insect during their larval stage and, upon reaching the adult stage, emerge from the host body to begin a free-living phase. In this study, researchers at University of Tsukuba directly observed the emergence behavior of male strepsipterans parasitizing stink bugs, where emergence sites are concealed beneath the host's wings, and found that, during emergence, the host exhibits a characteristic wing-raising behavior.

How complex neural circuits are genetically designed and wired is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Scientists have shown for the first time that genes encode a “wiring map” that guides neurons to connect with the correct brain regions. The findings, based on machine learning analysis of mouse brain data, were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and offer new avenues for research into brain development and disease. 

We revealed that the proton channel Hv1/VSOP, previously thought to function at the cell surface in microglia (brain immune cells), also functions on endosomes inside cells and precisely controls the actin cytoskeleton. Using advanced microscopy and electrophysiology (endosome patch-clamp), we found Hv1 acts as a brake on actin elongation. This discovery presents a novel cellular control mechanism where endosomal ion channels manipulate the cell skeleton itself, with implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases.