In a striking demonstration of molecular control, a team of Japanese scientists has harnessed light to reverse the twist in self-assembling molecules. The study led by Professor Shiki Yagai from Chiba University identifies how trace residual aggregates in photo-responsive azobenzene solutions can reverse helical chirality through secondary nucleation. By using precise control of ultraviolet and visible light, the researchers could switch between the rotation of helices, offering a breakthrough for novel materials with tunable properties.

Quasicrystals are intriguing materials with long-range atomic order that lack periodicity. It has been a longstanding question whether antiferromagnetism, while commonly found in regular crystals, is even possible in quasicrystals. In a new study, researchers have finally answered this question, providing the first definitive neutron diffraction evidence of antiferromagnetism in a real icosahedral quasicrystal. This discovery opens a new research area of quasiperiodic antiferromagnets, with potential applications in spintronics.

Scientists from Nagoya University in Japan have developed an innovative cooling device—an ultra-thin loop heat pipe—that significantly improves heat control for electronic components in smartphones and tablets. This breakthrough successfully manages heat levels generated during intensive smartphone usage, potentially enabling the development of even thinner mobile devices capable of running demanding applications without overheating or impeding performance.

The research, published in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering, addresses one of the most critical challenges in mobile device engineering: effectively cooling increasingly powerful components within the confined space of slim mobile devices. The team's solution provides more efficient heat management without increasing device thickness, which could allow manufacturers to push performance boundaries while maintaining or even reducing size. This may lead to next-generation smartphones and tablets that deliver sustained high performance without compromising on design or user experience.

Kyoto, Japan -- The fuzzy and adorable otter has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. These aquatic mammals are friendly, playful, and make cute cooing sounds, so their social media stardom seems only natural.

Sadly, this enthusiasm for otters has a dark side: they are targets for smuggling. In Japan, their popularity has raised demand for them as pets and as featured species at exotic animal cafés, making Japan one of the most prominent destinations for captive otters with ambiguous origins.

Asian small-clawed otters -- the species most common at Japanese zoos and cafés -- are native to South and Southeast Asia. They are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red list and their international trade for commercial purposes is prohibited. Yet they continue to be captured and smuggled into Japan, with Thailand as the main source of this illegal trade.

While elicited imitation (EI) tests can effectively measure language proficiency by having learners repeat complex sentences, they require time-consuming human scoring. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a fully automated system by combining EI for speech recognition with a computational scoring metric. Their study showed that the automated system produced nearly identical overall scores to human raters, suggesting that this approach could enable efficient, large-scale language assessment and potentially transform educational practices.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team found that BOR1 is expressed in the tapetal cells of young anthers in unopened buds, showing polar localization toward the locule where microspores develop.

Earth’s rocky layers are mysteriously low in nitrogen compared with carbon and argon. A scientific team explored our planet’s molten youth using advanced quantum mechanical simulations, revealing nitrogen’s secret: under extreme pressure, it chose to hide in the iron core 100 times more than the mantle. This solved why Earth’s volatile ratios involving nitrogen look odd. The findings suggest the necessary ingredients for developing a habitable world may have been settled in the early Earth.

Neurons migrate through complex brain tissue using distinct strategies, but how they choose remains unclear. A recent study from Japan found that neurons switch migration modes based on their environment. Researchers identified PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive protein, as crucial to this process, helping neurons adapt in confined spaces. These findings enhance our understanding of brain development and may inform therapies for brain injuries and cancer metastasis, offering new insights into neuronal movement and mechanobiology.

 An international research team from Japan, Taiwan, and Denmark investigated the ancient protein sequences of Taiwan's oldest hominin fossil and discovered that it was derived from a male Denisovan individual. The discovery of the Denisovan fossil from Taiwan has revealed that Denisovans were widely distributed in Asia, as far as southeastern Asia, and their distinctly robust jaws and teeth. This finding is reported in Science.