Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) have definitively resolved a two-decade-long controversy regarding the direction of electron spin on the surface of gold. Using a state-of-the-art Photoelectron Momentum Microscope (PMM) at the UVSOR synchrotron facility, the team captured complete two-dimensional snapshots of the Au(111) Shockley surface state, mapping both the electron's spin (its intrinsic magnetic property) and its orbital shape in a projection-based measurement. The experiment unambiguously confirmed the Rashba effect--where an electron's motion is coupled to its spin--by assigning a clockwise (cw) spin texture to the outer electron band and a counter-clockwise (ccw) texture to the inner band when viewed from the vacuum side. This work establishes a robust, trustworthy reference dataset for spin-resolved photoemission, paving the way for the development of highly efficient spintronic devices.

A high-frequency wildlife-deterrent device known as Shika Sonic, jointly deployed by Okayama University of Science (OUS) and Nanto City, has resulted in zero bear sightings for more than two and a half months near a school in a mountainous area of Toyama Prefecture. Developed by T.M.WORKS and scientifically evaluated by OUS’s Specially Appointed Professor Masachika Tsuji, the device was installed in June near Toga Gakusha, where bear encounters had been frequent. The new model, tuned specifically to deter bears, operates automatically at night and covers a radius of approximately 100–150 meters. According to the city, even an AI-equipped detection camera has recorded no bear activity since installation. Nanto City’s mayor has praised the initiative as a major success and is considering expanding the technology to tourist areas. Professor Tsuji’s on-site inspection in September confirmed stable operation while noting that further study is needed to assess long-term effectiveness.

Researchers Sumika Kato, Takeo Kubo, and Taro Fukazawa of the University of Tokyo have discovered that c1qtnf3, a secreting factor, namely a protein molecule that is secreted by a cell and influences functions of other cells, is expressed in putative muscle stem cells and shifts macrophages from immune to regenerative functions in the regenerating tails of tadpoles. The discovery offers a crucial insight into the regenerative capabilities of certain animals and paves the way for further research into potential applications in mammals. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

Out-of-equilibrium states that deviate from thermodynamic equilibrium are crucial not only for biological systems but also for designing synthetic functional materials. Now, researchers from Japan have developed supramolecular 2D nanosheets capable of transforming into dimensionally distinct out-of-equilibrium structures depending on ultraviolet light intensity. This work opens a new avenue for designing advanced adaptive materials that exhibit diverse responses depending on the light energy applied.

Researchers report on how two species of parasitic ants—Lasius orientalis and Lasius umbratus—invade and overtake a host ant colony. In both cases, the parasitic ant queen invades the nest and sprays the host colony queen with what is likely formic acid. This manipulates the host colony worker ants to attack and execute their own queen.

Researchers at The University of Osaka developed the Balloon-Assisted Bronchoscope Delivery (BDBD) technique and in a first-in-human clinical trial, the team successfully demonstrated that this technique is both safe and effective, enabling access to lesions smaller than 20 mm. By using a small balloon to gently widen airways, it allows endoscopes to reach deep, peripheral lung tumors, promising more accurate cancer diagnosis and new minimally invasive treatment options.

Conventional borehole backfilling suffers from various technical limitations, making infrastructure demolition and renewal difficult. In an innovative development, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology have proposed a novel circulating mixing method that pumps backfill material from the bottom of boreholes with unprecedented uniformity throughout the entire depth. This technology can revolutionize urban construction and renewal projects, and disaster prevention and mitigation.

Addressing the urgent demand for clean energy, Japanese researchers utilized a single-step solution plasma process to synthesize high-performing, cost-effective, bifunctional catalysts for metal–air batteries. Their cobalt-tin hydroxide/carbon composites rival traditional platinum- and ruthenium-based materials in both performance and long-term stability. This breakthrough significantly lowers manufacturing costs and enhances the scalability of next-generation batteries, poised to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

A 3 months study conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) in Japan, revealed that healthcare workers experience reduced environmental satisfaction and concentration due to lack of natural light and excessive ambient noise. When designing ICUs, architects should focus on increasing natural light and mitigating noise. These factors could help enhance healthcare worker satisfaction, productivity, and quality of patient care.