Latest news with #UniversityofOsaka
Sustainability Times
a day ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Quantum Breakthrough Just Happened': World's Fastest Magic State Prep Slashes Costs and Ignites New Race for Supremacy
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 Researchers at the University of Osaka developed a new technique that significantly cuts costs and complexity in quantum computing . . 🔍 The breakthrough involves a novel method called zero-level magic state distillation , which operates directly at the physical level of qubits. , which operates directly at the physical level of qubits. 💡 This approach reduces the number of qubits needed, simplifies setups, and improves performance by cutting spatial and temporal overhead. 🌟 The advance marks a pivotal step toward scalable and fault-tolerant quantum systems that can withstand computational noise. In recent years, the potential of quantum computing has captured the imagination of scientists and technologists alike. Unlike traditional computers that use binary bits, quantum computers utilize qubits, allowing them to tackle complex computations at unprecedented speeds. However, the journey toward building fully functional quantum systems has been fraught with challenges, particularly in managing quantum noise. A groundbreaking development from researchers at the University of Osaka is now setting the stage for a new era in quantum computing, promising to slash costs and reduce the complexity of creating reliable quantum systems. The Quantum Noise Challenge Quantum systems hold immense promise due to their ability to leverage superposition and entanglement, which could revolutionize fields from drug discovery to climate modeling. However, the Achilles' heel of these systems is their susceptibility to noise. As explained by lead researcher Tomohiro Itogawa, 'Quantum systems have always been extremely susceptible to noise. Even the slightest perturbation in temperature or a single wayward photon from an external source can easily ruin a quantum computer setup, making it useless.' This noise is a formidable challenge, rendering quantum computers prone to errors. To combat this, scientists have been focusing on developing fault-tolerant architectures capable of continuing computation even amidst disturbances. These architectures require exceptionally pure 'magic states' to function effectively, but creating such states has historically been an expensive endeavor. The quest for cost-effective solutions has led to significant advancements, as demonstrated by the recent study from the University of Osaka. 'Your Breath Is a Signature': Scientists Reveal Human Breath Is as Unique and Traceable as a Fingerprint The Necessity and Cost of Magic State Distillation Magic state distillation is a technique pivotal for refining noisy quantum states into reliable ones, ensuring that quantum computations are accurate and dependable. However, this process has been notoriously resource-intensive, both in terms of qubits and computational power. According to Keisuke Fujii, senior author of the study, 'The distillation of magic states is traditionally a very computationally expensive process because it requires many qubits.' This resource intensity has been a major barrier to the widespread adoption of quantum computing. The research team sought to explore alternative methods to expedite the preparation of high-fidelity states necessary for quantum computation. Their innovative approach could significantly reduce the cost and complexity associated with magic state distillation, making quantum computing more accessible and scalable. 'Clot-Free Cancer Breakthrough': Scientists Use Sea Cucumbers to Forge Next-Gen Therapies That Rewrite Treatment Norms Introducing Zero-Level Distillation Traditional distillation methods operate at higher logical levels, building complex layers on top of physical qubits. However, the Osaka research team took a radically different approach by working directly at the physical level. They developed a fault-tolerant circuit capable of operating at this 'zeroth' level, bypassing many complexities inherent in multi-layered systems. This innovative strategy resulted in substantial reductions in the number of qubits needed, simplified setups, and enhanced performance. Simulations demonstrated that their method could cut both spatial and temporal overhead by dozens of times, making it a highly efficient solution for quantum state preparation. This breakthrough paves the way for more streamlined and cost-effective quantum computing systems. 'Physics Broken in Antarctica': Mysterious Signal from Ice Baffles Scientists and Defies All Known Particle Laws A Shorter Path to Scalable Quantum Systems With this new distillation technique, researchers might soon overcome one of the most significant barriers to building large-scale quantum computers. The need for massive hardware arrays to create noise-resistant quantum systems could become a thing of the past. Itogawa and Fujii are optimistic about the future, with Itogawa stating, 'Whether one calls it magic or physics, this technique certainly marks an important step toward the development of larger-scale quantum computers that can withstand noise.' The rapid maturation of quantum technology offers promising prospects for various industries and scientific fields. As the technology continues to evolve, the potential applications of quantum computing are boundless, promising to transform industries and solve some of the most complex problems facing humanity. The advancements in quantum computing, particularly in reducing costs and increasing efficiency, are signaling a paradigm shift in technology. As researchers continue to refine these techniques, what other groundbreaking innovations might emerge from the world of quantum science, and how will they reshape our understanding of computation? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.7/5 (22)
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Air, Ash, and Astronomy: How Tiny Pollutants and Giant Telescopes Define the Future
The team concluded that the absence of ALDH1A1 left the cells at a higher risk of serious respiratory infection when exposed to air pollutants. It was also found that drug-enhanced ALDH1A1 levels improved the mice's mucociliary function in response to pollutants. The finding thus implied a potential therapeutic target, namely the enzyme ALDH1A1. 'Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1A1) is an enzyme that plays an important role in protection against aldehydes. We used experimental mice that lacked ALDH1A1 to investigate the impact of air pollutants without the gene,' explained Yasutaka Okabe, senior author. 'As expected, the mice had impaired cilia formation and function and high levels of aldehydes.' The team also explored how to restore normal cellular function and reverse damage. The researchers investigated the expression of one gene from the ALDH family known to protect the body against harmful aldehydes, to see whether it countered the effect of airway pollutants. The researchers found that oxidative injury in the airways caused by the pollutants facilitated the formation of lipid peroxide–derived aldehydes, which damaged the protective cells in the airway, including airway cilia. With the damaged airway cells and cilia no longer able to move debris and pollutants out of the airways, the risk of infection is enhanced. 'We found that PM2.5 air pollutants negatively affect mucociliary clearance, a major protective mechanism in the respiratory tract,' said the lead author, Noriko Shinjyo. Mucociliary clearance basically involves trapping pollutants in a sticky mucus and then sweeping the pollutants out of the airways with hair-like projections called cilia. Most air pollutants—for example, dust, vehicle exhaust, and wildfire smoke—belong to the PM2.5 category and, when inhaled, cause severe airway damage resulting in respiratory distress. To understand how exactly air pollutant particles affect the respiratory system, the researchers performed a series of experiments on mice. After exposing mice to environmental pollutants, their respiratory tracts were examined for changes in structure and function. In a study recently published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation , a multi-institutional research team led by the University of Osaka, Japan, has unravelled the mechanism by which exposure to air pollutants of particle size ≤ 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) cause airway dysfunction. With most of the world population subject to harmful levels of air pollutants, air pollution is stated to be the second leading risk factor that could lead to death globally. However, how air pollution affects human health and mortality remains poorly understood, rendering treatment strategies largely symptomatic. Also Read | Rural India is choking Vera C. Rubin Observatory will start showing spectacular images of the sky from June Astronomers around the world are eagerly waiting for the clock to strike 11 am EDT (8:30 pm IST) on June 23 when the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located atop the El Peñón peak of the 2,682-metre-high mountain Cerro Pachón in northern Chile, will showcase online its first spectacular images of the sky. The observatory is named after the American astronomer Vera Florence Cooper Rubin (1928–2016), who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. This study led her to discover the discrepancy between the predicted and observed angular motion of galaxies, which has been cited by astronomers as evidence for the existence of dark matter. The chief objective of the observatory's telescope, called the Simonyi Survey Telescope (or SST, named after the private donor-couple Charles and Lisa Simonyi), is to carry out a synoptic astronomical survey, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), using its camera, which is the largest digital camera ever built. The LSST camera was built as a multi-institutional project at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, California, over a seven-year period. It was shipped to the observatory site in Chile exactly a year ago and was installed in March 2025. The SST is a wide-field reflecting telescope with an 8.4 m primary mirror. The optics uses a novel three-mirror design that allows the telescope to deliver sharp images over a very wide 3.5o-diameter field of view. The images will be recorded by the mind-boggling 3.2 gigapixel charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging LSST camera—roughly the same number of pixels as 260 modern cell phone sensors—which itself is of the size of a small car and weighs about 3 tonnes. The observatory is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy of the US government. To produce an image of the night sky, the Rubin Observatory's large mirrors first collect the light arriving from the cosmos. After bouncing through the mirrors, the light gets focussed by the camera's three lenses onto the image sensors. When taking an image of the sky, the camera uses one of six different coloured filters, u, g, r, i, z, and y, ranging from ultraviolet (u), which is outside the human range of vision, through visible colours (g, r, i), and outside the human range of vision in the other direction into the infrared (i, z, y). The filters are housed in a carousel so that they can be easily switched during observations. However, the geometry of the carousel only allows it to hold five filters at once. The sixth filter is housed in a special storage stand separate from the camera, and a device called the filter loader is used to exchange a particular filter when needed with one in the carousel. Compared with filters in normal cameras, these filters are big, each is 75 cm across. A sophisticated machine called the auto-changer is capable of changing the filters in under two minutes. One would need hundreds of ultra-high-definition TV screens to display a single image taken by this camera. Its sensor needs to be kept extremely cold (about −100°C) to limit the number of defective (bright) pixels in images. These images and videos will be the first of many that Rubin will release over the course of the next decade as the camera and telescope conduct a sweep of the entire visible southern sky every three to four nights. In doing so, the Rubin Observatory's telescope will produce the most detailed time-lapse view of the cosmos ever.
The Mainichi
18-06-2025
- Science
- The Mainichi
701 contract professionals at Japan universities were laid off before reaching 10-year mark
TOKYO -- A total of 701 instructors and researchers on fixed-term contracts at Japan's national universities had their job contracts terminated just before the 10-year mark when they were supposed to be able to switch to indefinite employment, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned through a freedom-of-information request. The data provided on a voluntary basis by the education ministry also details the number of such job cuts by university, highlighting possibilities that the universities that have led Japan's research capabilities are more likely to terminate the job contract of many researchers they have employed for many years. The Mainichi Shimbun obtained the education ministry's survey on employment status of researchers and instructors at national universities for the academic years of 2023 and 2024. Ten years has passed since the revised Labor Contracts Act came into force in 2013, and the survey found that since the 2023 academic year -- when those on fixed-term contract first became eligible to gain the right to indefinite-term employment -- the highest number of faculty and researchers whose contracts were terminated just before reaching the 10-year mark were at the University of Tokyo and the University of Osaka, with 92 people each. They were followed by Tohoku University with 69 people and Kyoto University with 65. Until now, only the total number of such cases across national, public and private universities and research institutions had been made public. This is the first time the breakdown by individual university has been revealed. Meanwhile, according to the survey, the number of people who gained the right to indefinite-term employment was 296 at the University of Tokyo, eight at the University of Osaka, 38 at Tohoku University, 137 at Kyoto University, 12 at Kyushu University and 21 at Hokkaido University. However, the number of people who actually exercised that right was only 55 at the University of Tokyo, zero at the University of Osaka, also zero at Tohoku University, five at Kyoto University, zero at Kyushu University and four at Hokkaido University. It is believed that some researchers and instructors were unable to exercise their rights after being presented with changes in employment conditions, such as worsened treatment.
NZ Herald
10-06-2025
- Science
- NZ Herald
Osaka Expo 2025 showcases future foods with tech innovations
Inside the 'Evolving Frozen Foods' showcase at the Earth Mart pavilion, conceptualised by broadcasting writer Kundo Koyama, visitors will find a colourful assortment of green, yellow, and red 'regenerated rice'. Ingredients such as rice, vegetables, meat and eggs are frozen and then crushed into a powder. The powder is reshaped into rice grains for easy consumption. There are a variety of flavours made through the combination of ingredients. One of the flavours is called 'salad rice,' while another is named 'takana fried rice flavoured rice'. Another flavour is 'family rice,' inspired by oyakodon, which is a bowl of rice topped with chicken and eggs. Professor Hidemitsu Furukawa of Yamagata University developed regenerated rice in co-operation with Nichirei Foods Inc., a major frozen food company based in Tokyo. Although conventional methods for pulverising ingredients rely on heat or desiccation, the drawback has been the accompanying loss of moisture and aroma. However, the team successfully created powdered ingredients while preserving their original moisture and aroma by instantaneously freezing them using liquid nitrogen. They said that adjusting the blending ratio enables precise control over taste, aroma and nutritional value. 'This approach allows for the use of agricultural produce discarded after a harvest that doesn't reach the market, leading to a reduction in food loss and waste. It also supports farmers,' Furukawa said. Tomoko Kadoya, 64, from Kanazawa, looked at the regenerated rice and said, 'I'm surprised and thrilled that such food will be available in the near future. I am curious to try it and find out what it tastes like.' 3D printed meat The Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, presented by Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, is enticing the public with the prospect of making meat at home by 2050. Visitors can view 3D printed cultured meat. In 2023, the University of Osaka and companies such as Kyoto-based Shimadzu Corp. created a joint venture called the Consortium for Future Innovation by Cultured Meat. The consortium aims to commercialise technology that cultivates muscle and fat cells harvested from wagyu beef and processes them to create meat with a 3D printer. Pavilion visitors can look at two pieces of cultured meat, each 9cm long and 15cm wide, at the booth. They were produced over about six months. Cultured meat pieces are displayed at the Expo. Photo / The Japan News The ratio of lean to fatty parts can be adjusted to create marbled meat, with one of the pieces having a checkerboard pattern made with the lean and fatty sections. According to Michiya Matsusaki, a professor at the University of Osaka and the consortium's representative, they are close to reproducing the flavour and texture of marbled meat. During the Expo's period, they plan to grill the cultured meat at an event, allowing visitors to smell its aroma. 'I can't even imagine what it tastes like,' said a primary school student from Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture. 'I wonder if we'll be eating it regularly when I grow up,' the student added curiously. Rice flour soft serve cones Visitors are flocking to eat innovative dairy-free soft serve ice cream and cones which are made without egg or wheat. Nissei Co. developed the dessert. The firm, based in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, is a manufacturer and distributor of soft serve-related products. Beans make up the cream of the soft serve and the cones are made from rice flour. Five flavours, including vanilla, matcha, and strawberry, are available for ¥700 ($8) each at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion. Commercialisation, however, presents challenges such as costs, according to the company. 'Eating soft serve is often a joyful experience. We want to create a future where everyone can enjoy it,' said a project leader from the company, outlining the project's goal.
Asahi Shimbun
06-06-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Tohoku University seeks 500 researchers mainly from U.S.
Tohoku University President Teiji Tominaga announced on June 6 that the university will invest 30 billion yen ($209 million) over the next five years to recruit about 500 top researchers in Japan and from abroad. The university aims to attract U.S. researchers affected by President Donald Trump's administration making significant cuts in research spending. Professors at acclaimed universities in the United States earn several times more than professors at Japanese universities, making a large amount of money necessary for recruiting them. Tohoku University in Sendai is the first institution to receive government funding through the Universities for International Research Excellence project. It intends to take advantage of the substantial financial resources. The Universities for International Research Excellence project is a system where the government designates universities to support by providing them with money with the aim of enhancing the country's research capabilities. Designated universities can receive money from the investment profits of a 10 trillion yen government fund for a maximum of 25 years. Currently, Tohoku University is the only designated university for the project. It will receive a total of 15.4 billion yen in fiscal 2025. According to Tohoku University's plan, it will not set a salary cap for researchers. It also aims to strengthen ties with U.S. universities, including plans to establish research labs for quantum technology and semiconductors, conduct joint research and use these labs as a base for recruiting researchers. The university intends to recruit 100 researchers in fiscal 2025, including early-career researchers, by investing 2.2 billion yen. In May, senior officials of the university visited the United States and held information sessions there. This resulted in offering positions to 36 researchers based overseas that included professionals in the United States as well as 25 researchers based in Japan. 'Researchers' social status is higher and they earn better pay overseas than in Japan,' Tominaga said at a news conference on June 6. 'Japanese national universities have historically paid little attention to working conditions for researchers. However, to gain sufficient capabilities to compete globally, we intend to shift our focus to investing in researchers.' Other Japanese universities, such as the University of Osaka and Ritsumeikan University, have also announced plans to accept researchers from U.S. universities affected by the Trump administration's actions. (The article was written by Takahiro Takenouchi and Fumio Masutani.)
