Hokkaido University

Fabrication of Two-Dimensional Micropattern Structures through Active Wavefront Control in Laser Interference Lithography

Laser interference lithography (LIL) is an established technique for fabricating precise and periodic microstructures. The non-orthogonal Lloyd’s mirror interferometer, a type of wavefront division interferometer with a simple structure and short non-common optical paths, offers...

Geospatial assessment of natural hazard risks in coastal Bangladesh with a focus on communities outside embankments in Barguna

Bangladesh is highly disaster-prone, with coastal areas exposed to sea-level rise, cyclones, storm surges, flooding, and salinity intrusion, particularly in communities outside embankments. This study developed a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for outside-embankment areas of B...

Anomalous EL–PL Lifetime Inversion in Silicon Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes

Abstract Diamond-cubic silicon is a promising quantum-dot material for sustainable optoelectronics owing to its abundance, nontoxicity, and size-tunable photoluminescence (PL). However, silicon quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (Si-QLEDs) suffer from severe efficiency roll-off at...

Near‐Micron Single‐Crystalline Mn‐Rich Cathodes With Exceptional Cycling Stability

ABSTRACT Achieving high‐energy‐density and long‐term cycling stability in Mn‐redox‐based cathodes is a critical step toward advancing Ni‐ and Co‐free Li‐ion chemistries to diversify supply chains and lower battery costs. Here, we demonstrate an unusually high performance benchmar...

TFEB drives ER stress-induced apoptosis and limits cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease

Abstract Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the progressive growth of renal cysts and loss of renal function. Here, it was demonstrated that transcription factor EB (TFEB) activation in cyst-lining epithelial cells enhances their susceptibili...

Predator-induced morphological traits determine escape performance in a larval amphibian species

Abstract Although interspecific morphological diversity in aquatic animals often reflects swimming-related functional trade-offs, whether intraspecific morphological variation, often generated by phenotypic plasticity, also reflects similar trade-offs remains unclear. We tested t...

Magnetism and Electrical Conduction in Lightly-Doped Single-Layer High- T c Cuprate La 2 CuO 4+ δ

The temperature dependences of magnetization and electrical resistivity as well as their magnetic field dependences have been examined in lightly-doped single-layer cuprate La 2 CuO 4+ δ [LCO, hole-doping level p(2δ) ≅ 0.03] single crystals, in comparison with those in the extrem...

In-flight receiver calibration of the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) by passive Earth observations

Abstract. Post-launch characterization of the receiver telescope of the laser altimeter is essential for achieving precise georeferenced planetary measurements and for radiometric calibration to passively measure surface reflectance. For the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) aboard...

Diagnostic Utility of Full‐Length BP180 and Native BP180 ‐α6β4 Integrin Complex ELISAs in Serologically Inconclusive Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid

ABSTRACT Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a chronic autoimmune subepithelial blistering disorder of mucosal surfaces that can cause irreversible scarring, blindness, or dysphagia. Early diagnosis is challenging because histopathology is nonspecific and conventional BP180 NC16A...

Controlled Hydrogen Delivery by Single‐Atom Ru Accelerates Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis

ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction to ammonia (NORR) offers a dual opportunity for NO remediation and decentralized NH 3 production, yet its efficiency is often limited by competing pathways and unclear structure–function relationships. Here we introduce a reactant‐...

Controlled Hydrogen Delivery by Single‐Atom Ru Accelerates Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis

ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction to ammonia (NORR) offers a dual opportunity for NO remediation and decentralized NH 3 production, yet its efficiency is often limited by competing pathways and unclear structure–function relationships. Here we introduce a reactant‐...

Generation and characterization of phenylketonuria mouse models carrying East Asian–relevant patient-derived PAH mutations

Abstract Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the Pah gene, resulting in impaired phenylalanine hydroxylase activity and elevated blood phenylalanine levels. Although dietary management and enzyme replacement can reduce disease burden, t...

Spatially Dispersive Second-Harmonic Generation in Ferroaxial Systems

Spatially dispersive second-harmonic generation (SHG) provides a powerful probe of centrosymmetric multipolar states beyond the electric-dipole approximation. We develop a gauge-consistent microscopic theory of spatially dispersive SHG that treats electric-quadrupole (EQ) and mag...

Clinical Study of Bullous Pemphigoid With Oral Mucosal Symptoms After Oral Administration of Dipeptidyl Peptidase‐4 Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors are widely used for diabetes treatment. However, reports of DPP‐4 inhibitor‐associated bullous pemphigoid (BP) have been increasing. This study examined 12 cases of BP with oral mucosal lesions associated with DPP‐4 inhibitor the...

Long-term immunoprophylaxis by TLR9 ligand mediates macrophage-ILC cross-talk against respiratory viral infection

Rapid development of host immunity is critical during the emergence of viral outbreaks when vaccines are not yet available. Here, we demonstrate that CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-schizophyllan complex (K3-SPG) induces antigen-independent, long-term protection against lethal respirato...

An Innovative Approach for Estimating Coseismic Surface Uplifts Using Ionospheric Observations From Remote GNSS Stations: First Application for the 2025 Myanmar Earthquake

Abstract The M w 7.7 Myanmar earthquake on 28 March 2025 ruptured ∼480 km of the Sagaing Fault. Its fault slip distribution remains poorly constrained by three‐dimensional surface displacement data due to sparse GNSS‐coverage near the fault. Satellite‐based synthetic aperture rad...

Suppression of spectral gap and flat bands on a cuprate superconductor side-surface

Abstract Side surfaces of cuprate superconductors are expected to display a suppressed d -wave order parameter and zero-energy topological flat bands with a large density of states, making them susceptible to symmetry broken orders. Yet such surfaces have never been investigated...

RBD-down stabilization of SARS-CoV-2 spike enhances cross-neutralizing antibody responses by redirecting immunodominance toward conserved epitopes

The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has enabled partial escape from neutralizing antibodies, necessitating frequent updates of vaccine antigens. These observations motivate vaccine strategies that can redirect antibody responses toward conserved regions of the spike (...

Construction of signed distance functions through an elliptic equation

Motivated by recent advances in structural optimization, we propose a novel method for constructing the distance function to the boundary of a given domain. Building on and extending the celebrated Varadhan asymptotic theory, our approach reformulates the governing equation into...

Predicting the distribution of 16 tick species in Japan and its association with the occurrence of tick-borne diseases

Tick-borne diseases are a significant public health threat. Since the infection risk is directly associated with spatial variations of vector ticks, comprehensive data on their distributions are crucial for disease preparedness. Nevertheless, the difficulty of conducting field su...