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Female pilots perform better under pressure, study finds

New research challenges gender bias in aviation performance using eye-tracking technology and flight simulation

University of Waterloo

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A study participant wearing eye-tracking glasses while completing standardized flight tasks in a flight simulator. 

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Credit: Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), University of Waterloo

Female pilots may outperform their male counterparts in high-pressure flight situations, according to a new study led by University of Waterloo researchers.  

The findings challenge traditional assumptions in aviation and suggest that women pilots may have unique strengths that could be better recognized in pilot training and evaluation systems. 

“These findings are exciting because they push us to rethink how we evaluate pilots,” said Naila Ayala, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in Waterloo’s Multisensory Brain and Cognition Lab.  

“We can’t assume that because two pilots are looking at the same things, they will react the same way. Our study shows that women may be better at keeping control and making decisions in stressful flight scenarios.” 

The research also found that despite male and female pilots having nearly identical visual attention patterns and flight experience, female pilots tend to make fewer flight control errors when stress levels increase.  

This means that while both genders paid attention to the same information during a flight, women were more consistent and accurate in how they responded to it. The results highlight the importance of looking beyond surface-level indicators like visual focus when measuring pilot performance. 

The researchers used a high-fidelity flight simulator to study 20 experienced general aviation pilots—10 women and 10 men—as they flew through a series of typical and emergency situations. During each scenario, the team recorded where the pilots were looking and how they responded.  

The pilots all wore eye-tracking glasses and completed standardized flight tasks that included unexpected engine failures and landing challenges, designed to test their reactions under pressure. This allowed researchers to gather data on both visual attention and performance accuracy. 

“Understanding how different people perform under pressure helps us build better training programs for everyone, safer cockpits, and more inclusive aviation systems,” said Suzanne Kearns, associate professor and director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics.  

“At a time when the industry is facing a pilot shortage, tapping into the full potential of all pilots, regardless of gender, is more important than ever.” 

The team hopes the findings will help shape future pilot training and evaluation standards by recognizing a wider range of strengths and abilities. 

The study, “Exploring gender differences in aviation: Integrating high-fidelity simulator performance and eye-tracking approaches in low-time pilots,” is published in the Proceedings of the 2025 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications (ETRA '25).  

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DOI

10.1145/3715669.372312 

Simulator cockpit with overlayed gaze [VIDEO] | 

A simulator cockpit with annotated areas of interest for eye-tracking. 

Credit

Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), University of Waterloo

 

Through the shot glass, and what can be found in liverworts

Kobe University

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Kobe University plant geneticist ISHIZAKI Kimitsune thinks that the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is an ideal model organism to study vegetative plant reproduction and over the past 10 years has been involved in decoding its genome and establishing tools for its convenient genetic manipulation.

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Credit: ISHIZAKI Kimitsune

Studying plant vegetative reproduction is key to increasing crop yield and for bioengineering. Kobe University research is making progress on studying the genetic regulation of the process in liverworts, which are ideal model plants and even a candidate for space crops.

Potatoes are tubers, ginger is a rhizome, and both are forms of vegetative plant reproduction, in which plants create structures from which genetically identical individuals can emerge. This mode of reproduction is very important for agriculture and horticulture, but there is very little research on the underlying genetic mechanism. Kobe University plant geneticist ISHIZAKI Kimitsune thinks that the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is an ideal model organism to study this process and over the past 10 years has been involved in decoding its genome and establishing tools for its convenient genetic manipulation. He says, “Also, the liverwort is so proliferative that it is considered a nuisance to gardeners, growing back quickly no matter how often it is removed.”

The liverwort spreads through tiny, detachable buds, called “gemmae,” that form in small cups on the upper side of the liverwort’s “leaves” and are dispersed by rain, the wind or animals. Apart from this, the plant also engages in sexual production, switching from vegetative reproduction when the days become longer in summer. “In previous research, we found a gene that seemed to be involved in the formation of both gemma cups and the plant’s sexual reproductive organs. But it was completely unclear what it does, so we wanted to learn more,” says Ishizaki.

In the journal New Phytologist, the Kobe University team now reports that plants lacking the gene generally don’t form vegetative or sexual reproductive organs, and in rare cases form empty, shot-glass-shaped cups instead of the usually wide and shallow gemma cups, leading them to name the gene “SHOT GLASS.” This shows that the gene is necessary for the development of functioning reproductive structures. Studying the interactions with other genes known to be involved, they found that SHOT GLASS acts by suppressing the development of air chambers in the liverwort’s “leaves” to make space for gemma cup development, and by helping factors needed for the development of sexual reproductive organs to locate to the right place.

In addition, Ishizaki and his team found something astonishing. They knew that flowering plants, which are much more complex than the simple liverwort, have genes that are related to SHOT GLASS and likely derive from the same gene in the ancestor of all land plants. Interestingly, in flowering plants, those genes are also involved in regulating the development of the secondary meristem that, broadly speaking, makes a plant grow branches. And when they inserted the liverwort’s gene into a flowering plant that lacks one of its own versions, they found that it can even compensate for the gap its more evolved cousin left. Ishizaki explains, “This suggests that the mechanism by which plants create new buds away from the main shoot tip may be common to all land plants.”

This means that Ishizaki’s liverwort is indeed a convenient model organism to study this agriculturally important process. But the Kobe University researcher has bigger dreams. “Unlike crop plants, liverworts don’t require soil but can be grown with just fog cultivation. We are exploring the development of liverworts where the whole body is directly available as a food resource. This means it could even be used as a food source in space,” Ishizaki explains. He adds: “We are also exploring using the liverwort as an organism for the bioproduction of valuable chemical resources, which has so far practically been restricted to bacteria and yeasts. The engineering technology we are developing and the knowledge we are gathering on the plant’s biology are an important step into that direction.”

This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan (grants 25119711, 15H01233, 17H06472, 21K15125, 19H05673, 19H05670, 20H05780), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants 21J40092, 15H04391,19H03247, “Program for forming Japan’s peak research universities (J-PEAKS)”), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (grant JPMJGX23B0), the SUNTORY Foundation for Life Sciences, the Yamada Science Foundation, the Asahi Glass Foundation, the Kyoto University Foundation and the Ohsumi Frontier Science Foundation. It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Kyoto University and Ehime University.

In the journal New Phytologist, the Kobe University team reports that the identified a gene that is necessary for the development of vegetative and sexual reproductive organs. In rare cases, plants lacking the gene form empty, shot-glass-shaped cups instead of the usually wide and shallow gemma cups, leading them to name the gene “SHOT GLASS.”

Credit

ISHIZAKI Kimitsune

Kobe University is a national university with roots dating back to the Kobe Higher Commercial School founded in 1902. It is now one of Japan’s leading comprehensive research universities with nearly 16,000 students and nearly 1,700 faculty in 11 faculties and schools and 15 graduate schools. Combining the social and natural sciences to cultivate leaders with an interdisciplinary perspective, Kobe University creates knowledge and fosters innovation to address society’s challenges.

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Journal

New Phytologist

DOI

10.1111/nph.70337 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

SHOT GLASS, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, promotes gemma cup and gametangiophore development in Marchantia polymorpha

Article Publication Date

30-Jul-2025

 

Stepping for digital rewards

How mHealth app incentives drive health and transit in Japan’s Senboku New Town

Osaka Metropolitan University

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Incentivizing daily walking through a mHealth app affects users’ step counts.

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Credit: Haruka Kato, Osaka Metropolitan University

Walking is well known to have significant health benefits, but few people achieve the daily recommended steps. Fortunately, mobile health (mHealth) applications have emerged as promising tools to promote physical activity. These apps track user activities on mobile devices to deliver health and wellness services. However, the effectiveness of these apps in increasing daily walking behavior remains underexplored, partly due to variations in their incentive structures.

Dr. Haruka Kato, Junior Associate Professor at Osaka Metropolitan University, investigated the impact of incentive design on walking behavior using a local mHealth application called HealthSmart-Senboku. Developed for residents and visitors of Senboku New-Town in Japan, this mHealth app offers unique incentive features that convert users’ daily step counts into digital rewards. HealthSmart-Senboku provides two types of incentives where users can either exchange daily walking steps for shopping coupons redeemable at selected local stores or digital train tickets for travel on Nankai Railway’s Senboku Line.

Dr. Kato’s study found that users who utilized the train ticket exchange incentive increased their daily walking by an average of 626.2 [95% CI: 0.27, 1252.2] steps/day over a five-month period. Additionally, those who used shopping coupon incentives walked 715.2 [95% CI: 277.4, 1153.0] steps/day more on average than those who did not use them.

“These findings suggest that HealthSmart-Senboku’s ticket exchange incentives effectively promote active travel,” said Dr. Kato. “The results highlight the potential of mHealth apps to encourage both physical activity and public transportation use toward Healthy New Towns through well-designed incentive systems.”

The findings were published in Journal of Transport and Health.

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About OMU 

Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through the “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

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Journal

Journal of Transport & Health

DOI

10.1016/j.jth.2025.102126 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Active Travel Effects of mHealth App that Exchanges Daily Walking Steps for Digital Train Tickets: Quasi-experimental Study Using HealthSmart-Senboku

Article Publication Date

7-Jul-2025

 

The brain shapes what we feel in real time

A UNIGE team has discovered a new brain mechanism responsible for modulating sensory signals. It could be involved in the perception threshold of our senses.

Université de Genève

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Cortical neuron expressing green fluorescent protein, imaged in the living mouse brain using two-photon microscopy.

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Credit: © Ronan Chéreau

The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability. This work, published in Nature Communications, reveals a previously unknown form of communication between two regions of the brain, the thalamus and the somatosensory cortex. It could explain why the same sensory stimulus does not always elicit the same sensation and open up new avenues for understanding certain mental disorders.

The same sensory stimulus can be perceived clearly at times, and remain vague at others. This phenomenon can be explained by the way the brain integrates stimuli. For example, touching an object outside our field of vision may be enough to identify it...or not. These perceptual variations remain poorly understood, but may depend on factors such as attention or the disruptive presence of other stimuli. What is certain, according to neuroscientists, is that when we touch something, sensory signals from receptors in the skin are interpreted by a specialised region called the somatosensory cortex.

On their way to it, the signals pass through a complex network of neurons, including a crucial structure in the brain called the thalamus, which serves as a relay station. However, the process is not one-way. A significant portion of the thalamus also receives feedback from the cortex, forming a loop of reciprocal communication. But the exact role and functioning of this feedback loop are still unclear. Could it play an active role in how we perceive sensory information?

A new modulatory pathway
To explore this question, neuroscientists at UNIGE studied a region at the top of pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex, rich in dendrites – extensions that receive electrical signals from other neurons. ‘‘Pyramidal neurons have rather strange shapes. They are asymmetrical, both in shape and function. What happens at the top of the neuron is different from what happens at the bottom,’’ explains Anthony Holtmaat, full professor at the Department of Basic Neurosciences (NEUFO) and the Synapsy Centre for Neuroscience Research for Mental Health at UNIGE’s Faculty of Medicine, and director of the study.

His team focused on a pathway in which the top of pyramidal neurons in mice receives projections from a specific part of the thalamus. By stimulating the animal’s whiskers – the equivalent of touch in humans – a precise dialogue between these projections and the dendrites of pyramidal neurons was revealed. ‘‘What is remarkable, unlike the regular thalamic projections known to activate pyramidal neurons, is that the part of the thalamus providing feedback modulates their activity, in particular by making them more sensitive to stimuli,’’ says Ronan Chéreau, senior researcher at NEUFO and co-author of the study.

An unexpected receptor
Using cutting-edge techniques – imaging, optogenetics, pharmacology and, above all, electrophysiology – the research team was able to record the electrical activity of tiny structures such as dendrites. These approaches helped clarify how this modulation works at the synaptic level. Normally, the neurotransmitter glutamate acts as an activation signal. It helps neurons transmit sensory information by triggering an electrical response in the next neuron.

In this newly discovered mechanism, glutamate released from thalamic projections binds to an alternative receptor located in a specific region of the cortical pyramidal neuron. Rather than directly exciting the neuron, this interaction alters its state of responsiveness, effectively priming it for future sensory input. The neuron then becomes more easily activated, as if it were being conditioned to better respond to a future sensory stimulus.

‘‘This is a previously unknown pathway for modulation. Usually, the modulation of pyramidal neurons is ensured by the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, not by this type of mechanism,’’ explains Ronan Chéreau.

Implications for perception and disorders
By demonstrating that a specific feedback loop between the somatosensory cortex and the thalamus can modulate the excitability of cortical neurons, the study suggests that thalamic pathways do not simply transmit sensory signals, but also act as selective amplifiers of cortical activity. ‘‘In other words, our perception of touch is not only shaped by incoming sensory data, but also by dynamic interactions within the thalamocortical network,’’ adds Anthony Holtmaat. This mechanism could also contribute to understanding the perceptual flexibility observed in states of sleep or wakefulness, when sensory thresholds vary. Its alteration could also play a role in certain pathologies, such as autism spectrum disorders.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-60835-w 

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

"Thalamocortical feedback selectively controls pyramidal neuron excitability"

Article Publication Date

31-Jul-2025

 

From coal to chemicals: Breakthrough syngas catalysis powers green industrial future

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences

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Researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have advanced syngas conversion by integrating Fischer–Tropsch synthesis with heterogeneous hydroformylation. By designing Co–Co₂C and Rh single-atom catalysts, the team achieved efficient, selective, and scalable production of alcohols and α-olefins. Their technologies have already entered industrial use and continue to evolve toward high-value product chains, laying the foundation for greener chemical manufacturing to realize China’s carbon neutrality goals.

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Credit: Chinese Journal of Catalysis

Two decades-long catalytic journey has borne industrial fruit—greener, cleaner, and smarter. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) and heterogeneous hydroformylation are two cornerstone processes in modern chemical manufacturing. They convert syngas (a mixture of CO and H₂, typically derived from coal or biomass) into hydrocarbons and oxygenates that underpin fuel, plastics, and pharmaceutical industries. Yet for over a century, challenges in selectivity, catalyst longevity, and process integration have limited their broader industrial deployment—until now.

In a newly published account in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(25)64701-2), a team led by Prof. Yunjie Ding and Prof. Li Yan at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), in collaboration with Dr. Ronghe Lin (Zhejiang Normal University) and Dr. Shenfeng Yuan (Zhejiang University), presents a comprehensive roadmap of scientific breakthroughs that move these legacy reactions into a modern era of green chemistry.

A New Generation of Co–Co₂C Catalysts for FTS. The team developed a series of carbon-supported cobalt–cobalt carbide (Co–Co₂C) catalysts that fundamentally reshape FTS performance. By tuning the interface between metallic cobalt and its carbide phase, they achieved dual-active sites that guide syngas molecules through controlled C–C coupling and CO insertion steps—enabling selective formation of long-chain α-alcohols and olefins. These insights, backed by DFT calculations and operando spectroscopy, translated into real-world application. A 150 kt/a industrial slurry-phase reactor based on the Co–Co₂C system has been in full operation since 2020 in Yulin, China—the first such carbon-supported Co catalyst in global use.

Single-Atom Rh Catalysts Transform Hydroformylation. To overcome the well-known separation and precious metal leaching issues of homogeneous Rh-based hydroformylation, the researchers pioneered a porous organic polymer (POP)-anchored single-atom Rh catalyst: Rh₁/POPs-PPh₃. The catalyst features robust multi-dentate Rh–P bonds, delivering exceptional activity, transient sulfur poisoning and self-recovery, and structural integrity under harsh industrial conditions. In 2020, this innovation was scaled up to the world’s first commercial heterogeneous hydroformylation plant in Zhenhai, China, producing 50 kt/a of n-propanol from ethylene with unprecedented catalyst efficiency and longevity. The losses of Rh and ligand are negligible, and the reactor operates continuously, marking a transformative step in green olefin functionalization.

Extending the Value Chain to High-Value Products. Based on these catalytic platforms, they also developed integrated separation schemes and extraction processes to isolate alcohols and paraffins from complex FTS product mixtures with high purity. They further advanced value-chain by converting the FTS-derived α-alcohols into high-value commodities such as, α-olefins, lubricants, and fatty acids, which are not commonly synthesized from coal.

From bench-scale insights to commercial milestones, this research illustrates how a “mechanism-insight-to-green-manufacture” approach—grounded in catalyst design and process coupling—can unlock new industrial opportunities for syngas utilization, especially in coal-rich economies transitioning toward low-carbon futures.

 

About the journal

Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 17.7.

At Elsevier http://www.journals.elsevier.com/chinese-journal-of-catalysis

Manuscript submission https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cjcatal

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Journal

Chinese Journal of Catalysis

DOI

10.1016/S1872-2067(25)64701-2 

Article Title

Integrated Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and heterogeneous hydroformylation technologies toward high-value commodities from syngas

Article Publication Date

27-Jul-2025