Previously reported tRNA modification enzymes act only on RNA polymers.  However, it has been discovered that ArcS, the second-step enzyme for archaeosine synthesis, possesses unprecedented activity by acting even on a nucleoside.

The COVID-19 pandemic motivated several countries to establish wastewater surveillance systems for infectious diseases, but many countries, including Japan, are reluctant to adopt such a system. To provide the much-needed economic information to support this system, researchers conducted a survey-based contingent valuation study to estimate people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for such a system. WTP was found to be around $8.83/year per household, which aggregates to $497 million nationally, enough to easily fund the system.

Quantum mechanical simulations were carried out to investigate the mechanical behavior and thermodynamics of tilt grain boundaries in (Mg,Fe)O, one of the most abundant minerals in deep mantles of (super-)Earths. This study demonstrated that iron prefers specific grain boundary sites, affecting its electronic spin transition within the interfaces. Grain boundary mobility was found to vary significantly with pressure. Surprisingly, strong grain boundary weakening was observed with increasing depth, particularly under pressure conditions within super-Earths.

Carbon capture is a promising approach for mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Different materials have been used to capture CO2 from industrial exhaust gases. Scientists developed hybrid CO2 capture materials containing sodium carbonate and nanocarbon prepared at different temperatures, tested their performance, and identified the optimal calcination temperature condition. They found that the hybrid material exhibits and maintains high CO2 capture capacity for multiple regeneration cycles at a lower temperature, making it cost- and energy-effective.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are persistent organic pollutants for which their developmental toxicity in birds has not been well studied. This study used a shell-less chicken embryo model to investigate the effects of SCCPs exposure. SCCPs exposure caused reduced survival, growth retardation, and cardiovascular defects in embryos. Gene expression and thyroid hormone analyses revealed that SCCPs disrupt thyroid hormone signaling, leading to developmental toxicity. These findings highlight the potential risks of SCCPs to avian development.

An Osaka Metropolitan University research team investigating the usability of smart speakers has found there is little correlation between the degree of proficiency in the operating method and the evaluation of the ease of use. Further, problems during use, such as poor transmission of voice instructions and lack of system feedback, were identified, thus prompting the future need for developmental improvements in smart speaker learnability and use.

Conventional synthesis methods of acetylene rely on fossil fuels. For reducing carbon footprint, a new method is required for its sustainable synthesis. In a new study, researchers from Japan developed a novel method for the synthesis of acetylene from carbon dioxide via calcium carbide, without the need for fossil fuels. This innovative process can contribute to realizing a sustainable acetylene-based industry.

A research team at NIMS has successfully developed an environmentally friendly, microspherical fluorescent material primarily made from citric acid. These microbeads emit various colors of light depending on the illuminating light and the size of the beads, which suggests a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the use of plant-derived materials allows for low-cost and energy-efficient synthesis.

Wars and conflicts leave devastating destruction in their wake. With so many conflicts now taking place in urban environments, scientists are studying how post-conflict peacebuilding happens in these urban settings. Dahlia Simangan, an associate professor at The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, has analyzed the case of Marawi, a city in the Philippines, to better understand the urban environment’s influence on post-siege reconstruction and peacebuilding. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of peacebuilding by integrating conventional peacebuilding components and urban characteristics.

This study presents a method to record the temperature of materials with exceptional temporal resolution, using a Doppler broadening effect in neutron resonance absorption. Using a high-powered laser to generate pulses of neutrons 100 nanoseconds long, a test on samples of silver and tantalum successfully returned characteristic information for both materials and their temperatures.