EurekAlert! Japan News - News Releases from Japan

News from Japan

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Aug-2025 03:11 ET (16-Aug-2025 07:11 GMT/UTC)

Novel technologies to advance next-generation semiconductor packaging

Institute of Science Tokyo
Reports and Proceedings

A novel power supply technology for 3D-integrated chips has been developed by employing a three-dimensionally stacked computing architecture consisting of processing units placed directly above stacks of dynamic random access memory. Towards realizing this, researchers developed key technologies involving precise and high-speed bonding technique and adhesive technology. These new technologies can help in addressing the demands of high-performance computing applications, which require both high memory bandwidth and low power consumption with reduced power supply noise.

Funder: WOW Alliance program of the Institute of Science Tokyo
Meeting: 2025 IEEE 75th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC)

Understanding the effect of bedding on thermal insulation during sleep

Waseda University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The bedding micro-environment is a key aspect of obtaining optimal thermal conditions for sleep. Specifically, the total thermal insulation of the bedding micro-environment significantly influences the thermal neutral temperature. However, currently there are no standards for measuring the insulation of bedding. In a new study, researchers systematically examined the thermal insulation of bedding, considering different combinations of bedding, sleepwear, and ambient temperatures, including both whole and local body effects.

Journal: Building and Environment

A leap in canine medicine: Method for reproducible mesenchymal stem cells found

Osaka Metropolitan University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team established a replicable method for producing canine MSCs using iPS cells.

Journal: Regenerative Therapy
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Discovery of a cellular communication network that accelerates liver fibrosis

Toho University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by Dr. Takao Seki (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Hiroyasu Nakano (Specially Appointed Professor) at the Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, has uncovered a previously unknown intercellular network that promotes liver fibrosis. Their findings highlight the critical roles of hepatic stellate cells and two key molecules: the growth factor FGF18 and the pro-fibrotic mediator osteopontin (OPN).

Journal: iScience

Magically reducing errors in quantum computers

The University of Osaka
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a way to efficiently prepare the “magic states” necessary for quantum computers to be resistant to errors. Their technique, called “zero-level distillation,” involves working with qubits at the physical or zeroth level as opposed to higher, more abstract levels. The spatial and temporal overhead of quantum computers prepared from these states using this technique is around several dozen times lower than that of those prepared from conventional methods.

Journal: PRX Quantum
Funder: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency

Development of an automated program for discovering anti-glycation active compounds from natural resources

Toho University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team from Toho University successfully created an automated program to rapidly identify anti-glycation active compounds present in natural resources. In the future, this newly developed method is expected to be effectively utilized for the discovery of anti-glycation active compounds present in natural resources. The results of this study were published on May 3, 2025, in the academic journal Analytical Chemistry.

Journal: Analytical Chemistry

Building a machine learning model while preserving data confidentiality

National Institute for Materials Science, Japan

NIMS and its collaborators (IHI Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Kobe Steel, Ltd., Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Elix, Inc.) have developed a model designed to predict the long-term durability of a range of heat-resistant steel materials by performing machine learning while preserving the confidentiality of each organization’s data. This research was published online in Tetsu-to-Hagané on February 6, 2025.

Journal: Tetsu-to-Hagane
Funder: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

Vulnerable construction turned Myanmar earthquake into widespread catastrophe

United Nations University
Reports and Proceedings

On March 28, 2025, a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, causing an estimated 3,600-5,350 fatalities and leaving around 200,000 people homeless. A rapid damage assessment by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) utilized satellite radar data to analyze seven major cities, including Mandalay. The analysis estimated that over 157,000 buildings were likely damaged, with damage rates in the assessed cities ranging from 20% to 73%. The catastrophic losses are attributed to the widespread collapse of vulnerable structures, exacerbated by failures to enforce the Myanmar National Building Code. The report advocates for comprehensive mitigation strategies, including the adoption and enforcement of modern seismic codes, retrofitting existing buildings, and improved land-use planning to enhance resilience against future seismic events.

An unexpected mineral in a Ryugu grain

Hiroshima University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Serendipitous discovery of djerfisherite in Ryugu grain challenges current paradigm of the nature of primitive asteroids.

Journal: Meteoritics and Planetary Science
Funder: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan

Decoding the molecular commonality underlying lip hypertrophy in cichlids

Institute of Science Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a recent study, researchers have discovered that the genes related on extracellular matrix (ECM) and the Wnt signaling pathway characterize the independently acquired lip hypertrophy in cichlids of East African Great Lakes. Through advanced omics-based experiments and comparative histological analyses, they found that hypertrophied lips of cichlids had a larger proteoglycan-rich layer. This study provides vital insights into the evolutionary biology of lip hypertrophy in cichlids of East African Great Lakes.

Journal: eLife
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency

30
31
32
33
34