When analyzing artworks, understanding the visual clarity of compositions is crucial. Inspired by digital artists, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) researchers from the Mechanics and Materials Unit have created a metric to quantify clarity in digital images. As a result, scientists can accurately capture changes in structure during artistic processes and physical transformations.  

This new metric can improve analysis and decision-making across the scientific and creative domains, potentially transforming how we understand and evaluate the structure of images. It has been tested on digital artworks and physical systems. The research is published in the journal PNAS.  

Excited state dynamics are essential for understanding fluorescence properties in molecules, impacting their application in technologies. Recent research at Shinshu University explores how molecular structure and geometry influence light emission in aggregation-induced emission molecules. The study reveals that changes in molecular shape affect emission behavior in both solution and solid states. These insights are crucial for advancing applications like organic light-emitting diodes and bioimaging, enabling innovations in material design and energy interactions.

An Osaka Metropolitan University research team has discovered proteins with emulsifying action that can be readily released from yeast cell walls. One of them exhibited emulsifying activity comparable to that of casein, a milk-derived emulsifier.