Cyberwarfare between nation states has become increasingly common in recent years. To address several important questions that this phenomenon raises, scientists developed a game theoretical model of cyberwarfare between nations. Their research, which is published in Economic Inquiry, focuses on factors that determine the severity and outcomes of cyber conflicts. With a two-country model—where nations invest in offensive or defensive cyber capabilities across networked systems—the investigators considered different scenarios where the Attacker is the ...

A growing body of evidence implicates cellular senescence—when cells age and permanently stop dividing—as an important contributor to metabolic dysfunction that can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. A review in the Journal of Internal Medicine explores the research connecting senescent cells to metabolic diseases and highlights the potential of “senotherapeutics” in treatment strategies. The authors note that senescent cells accumulate in metabolic tissues where they secrete factors that disrupt tissue ...

Nitrogen metabolism of gut bacteria can provide health benefits. Specifically, gut microbes metabolize dietary nitrates and nitrites and prevent the formation of cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines. New research published in The FEBS Journal sheds light on these processes and pinpoints which types of bacteria are most important. Investigators found that Escherichia coli—and to a lesser extent, species of the genera Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Phocaeicola—can efficiently metabolize different forms of nitrogen, thus ...

Lithium-metal batteries are among the most promising technologies for energy storage. They offer significantly more energy in less space — and at a lower weight. However, one phenomenon slows down their development: tiny, needle-like metal structures called dendrites, made of lithium. They can grow uncontrollably inside the battery and cause devastating short circuits. Until now, solid electrolytes, including polymer-based electrolytes, have been considered a way to suppress this growth. “Electrolytes are responsible for transporting lithium ions back and forth between the two electrodes inside a battery — making ...

An Osaka Metropolitan University team has used stem cells extracted from adipose, the body’s fatty tissue, to treat spine fractures in rats similar to those caused by osteoporosis in humans. These cells offer the advantages of being easy to collect, even from elderly individuals, and causing little stress to the body, suggesting a non-invasive way of treating bone diseases. Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become brittle and prone to fractures. Due to the aging of the population, the number of patients in Japan is estimated to ...

The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo is proud to announce that it will host the PCST Japan Symposium 2025, to be held from 11–13 November 2025. This joint international symposium marks the first time the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network brings a symposium to Japan, and the seventh conference of the Japan SciCom Forum (JSF). The symposium will bring together researchers, practitioners, educators, and policymakers from across Asia and beyond to explore the strategic development of science communication in non-Western contexts. It is organised around two central questions that guide its themes: ‘how can we establish ...

Recently, a research group led by Prof. SUN Xiaobing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, investigated the impact of multiangular polarimetry on the quantification of marine aerosol remote sensing applications. Their findings were published in the Optics Express. Aerosols are one of the most uncertain components in the quantification of climate radiative forcing, while polarimetry helps to improve the characterization of the microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosol. In this study, the team investigated the importance of the spectral range, the spectral band, the number of viewing angles, and ...

A recent study from Houston Methodist sheds light on how Alzheimer’s disease may contribute to larger health issues by hijacking the body’s ability to regulate its metabolism. Researchers have discovered that along with the negative effects an Alzheimer’s diagnosis brings, the disease can also sabotage messages between nerves and blood vessels in fat tissue, which can worsen heart and metabolic conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes. The first-of-its-kind research, “Alzheimer’s disease disrupts intra-adipose neurovascular contact,” ...

□ A research team led by Professor Sanghyeon Choi from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) successfully developed the “memristor,” which is gaining recognition as a next-generation semiconductor device, through mass-integration at the wafer scale. This study proposes a new technological platform for implementing a highly integrated AI semiconductor replicating the human brain, overcoming the limitations of conventional semiconductors.   □ The human brain contains about 100 ...

Millions of tons of pesticides are used each year to protect crops, but traditional formulations release too quickly, degrade easily, and leach away, leading to low efficiency and environmental risks. Compared with the costly and time-consuming development of new pesticides, creating smart controlled-release formulations from existing ingredients is a simpler and more effective way to improve efficiency and reduce ecological harm. A team led by Prof. WU Zhengyan and Prof. ZHANG Jia from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a bioinspired prussian blue/PNIPAM nanohybrid ...

Quantum satellites currently beam entangled particles of light from space down to different ground stations for ultra-secure communications. New research shows it is also possible to send these signals upward, from Earth to a satellite; something once thought unfeasible. This breakthrough overcomes significant barriers to current quantum satellite communications. Ground station transmitters can access more power, are easier to maintain and could generate far stronger signals, enabling future quantum computer ...

A collaborated research team led by Prof. MA Yanwei from the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has shattered records in the current-carrying performance of iron-based superconducting wires.  Their breakthrough, enabled by a novel strategy to engineer high-density flux pinning centers via an asymmetric stress field, is published in Advanced Materials.  The Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (CHMFL), the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science ...

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases are the two most common neurodegenerative disorders, affecting millions of people worldwide. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, new research from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) suggests a shared molecular cascade between the two diseases which causes synaptic dysfunctions, advancing our understanding of how their symptoms are produced.  The researchers investigated how brain cell communication across synapses is disrupted by disease-related protein buildup. They found a pathway that interferes with synaptic ...

Recently, Researcher NI Guohua and Associate Researcher SUN Hongmei from the Institute of Plasma Physics, together with Associate Professor WANG Dong from Anhui Medical University, developed a novel two-step plasma strategy to modify mesoporous silica-supported silver nanoparticles, enabling them to achieve strong antibacterial activity and accelerated wound healing. Their findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. Mesoporous silica-supported silver nanoparticles (Ag/MSNs) show great potential for wound ...

As demand for safe and low-cost energy storage grows, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as promising candidates. However, their practical application is hindered by cathode instability and poor low-temperature performance. Now, researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Shenzhen University, led by Professor Zijian Li, have developed a novel K⁺ and C3N4 co-intercalated NH4V4O10 (KNVO-C3N4) cathode that delivers exceptional performance across a wide temperature range. Why K⁺/C3N4 Co-Intercalation ...

As renewable energy storage demand grows, the limitations of aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) in subzero environments become more pronounced. Now, researchers from Harbin University of Science and Technology and Fudan University, led by Professor Xin Liu and Professor Dongliang Chao, have presented a breakthrough solution using trace Na2SO4 as an electrolyte additive. This work offers valuable insights into developing next-generation energy storage technologies that can overcome low-temperature challenges. Why Na₂SO₄ Matters Cost-Effective: Na2SO4 is an abundant, low-cost inorganic ...

A research team led by Professor WANG Peng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with international researchers, has successfully engineered liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-driven membraneless organelles (MLOs) within the food-grade industrial strain Corynebacterium glutamicum.  The related findings have been published in Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology. LLPS-driven MLOs represent an emerging technology in cell structure engineering. By dynamically isolating enzymes and substrates, LLPS significantly improves metabolic efficiency and enhances the synthesis of target products.  In ...

When companies hike prices on essentials like food, medicine, or medical devices, the financial rewards may be immediate—but the reputational damage may linger and ultimately cost more in the long run. That’s the finding of a study led by UC Riverside School of Business professor Margaret C. Campbell. Consumers, the research shows, judge prices for essential goods and services not just through the lens of supply and demand, but also through their sense of morality. “If companies are perceived as taking advantage of vulnerable people—like the elderly or the uninsured—they may make ...

University of Queensland researchers have captured the first high-resolution images of the yellow fever virus (YFV), a potentially deadly viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that affects the liver. They’ve revealed structural differences between the vaccine strain (YFV-17D) and the virulent, disease-causing strains of the virus. Dr Summa Bibby from UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience said despite decades of research on yellow fever, this was the first time a complete 3D structure of a fully mature yellow fever virus particle had been recorded at near-atomic resolution. “By utilising the well-established Binjari virus platform developed here at ...

A team of researchers has announced a breakthrough in carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology, unveiling a novel biochar material synthesized from corn straw using a microwave-assisted, two-step chemical activation strategy. This innovative approach, published in Sustainable Carbon Materials, promises a low-cost, scalable solution for addressing global greenhouse gas emissions and advancing climate change mitigation efforts. As atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise, reaching 422.5 ppm globally in 2024, the urgent need for effective capture and sequestration technologies has become more ...

Recently, a team led by Academician Hongjie Zhang, Researcher Shuyan Song, Associate Researcher Pengpeng Lei, and Dr. Ran An at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed an innovative strategy to construct a series of biodegradable cesium nanosalts. These nanosalts activate anti-tumor immunity by inducing pyroptosis and metabolic intervention. The nanosalts induce ion endocytosis in tumor cells using a Trojan horse strategy, disrupting intracellular ion homeostasis, causing a surge in osmotic pressure, and ultimately triggering pyroptosis. Cesium ...

A new research perspective highlights bamboo as a promising and sustainable alternative to traditional plastic materials, offering fresh hope in tackling one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: global plastic pollution. Plastic waste, including microplastics and associated chemical contaminants, has emerged as a major threat to both ecosystems and public health worldwide. With more than 175 countries now endorsing international agreements to reduce plastic pollution, the quest for natural, sustainable substitutes is at the top of the global agenda. The recent launch of the “Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic” ...

Voting behaviour in elections is strongly linked to the future risk of death, and is likely a stronger determinant of health than education—considered a key influence on health—suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Over the past several years, voting in national and local elections has increasingly been seen as a potential social determinant of health—the non-medical factors that influence health and wellbeing—explain the researchers. And previously published research suggests that voters generally have better health than non-voters, but it’s not clear if ...

The survival rates of people with early onset dementia—diagnosed before the age of 65—vary considerably by clinical type, but sex, age, family history and co-existing conditions aren't specific risk factors, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Although the survival of those afflicted by dementia in older age is shorter, the overall impact on the risk of death from any cause is even greater in those with early onset disease than it is in others of comparable ...

The study is the largest of its kind in this population, and is published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. It was led by scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, and University College London, with support from the BHF Data Science Centre at Health Data Research UK. Principal author Dr Alexia Sampri, University of Cambridge, said: “Our whole-population study during the pandemic showed that although these conditions were rare, children and young people were more likely to experience heart, vascular or inflammatory problems after a COVID-19 infection ...