A research team led by Yuta Suzuki, Assistant Professor at Harris Science Research Institute and Takuya Goto, Professor at the Department of Science of Environment and Mathematical Modeling, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, develop an environmentally friendly method to electrochemically synthesize an essential industrial gas.
Acetylene is an essential precursor in the production of resins and plastics such as PVC, as well as a useful gas in many industrial processes. However, its synthesis requires fossil fuels, making it environmentally taxing. Now, Suzuki, Goto and their research team have developed an innovative electrochemical technique to produce acetylene using carbon dioxide and water as raw materials. This method could greatly reduce the carbon footprint of acetylene synthesis and contribute to sustainable carbon capture technologies.
Reference
Suzuki Y., Tanaka S., Watanabe T., Isogai T., Yamauchi A., Kishikawa Y., Goto T. New Route of Acetylene Synthesis via Electrochemical Formation of Metal Carbides from CO2 in Chloride Melts (2024) ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 12 (5), pp. 2110 - 2119.
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c08139
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
[Research News] Advancing Towards Sustainability: Turning Carbon Dioxide and Water into Acetylene
This achievement has also been featured in the “EurekAlert!.”
NEWS RELEASE 27-MAR-2024, Advancing Towards Sustainability: Turning Carbon Dioxide and Water into Acetylene
Image Credit: Yuta Suzuki from Doshisha University, Japan
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A research team led by Ph.D. student Mayu Shono and Professor Akihisa Shioi from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, preserved the alignment of microdroplets, revealing how biological molecules self-assemble and opening possibilities for creating artificial cells.
The self-organization of microdroplets in polymer systems due to phase separation holds potential for biological and medical applications. However, retaining the order aligned for long periods of time by keeping the uniformity and distances has been challenging. Now, researchers at Doshisha University have generated repetitive alignment of binary cell-sized droplets in a spontaneous manner and preserved them for eight hours by confining a tripolymer solution in a capillary, with implications for improving drug delivery and biological molecule production.
Reference
Shono M., Aburatani K., Yanagisawa M., Yoshikawa K., Shioi A. Periodic Alignment of Binary Droplets via a Microphase Separation of a Tripolymer Solution under Tubular Confinement (2024) ACS Macro Letters, pp. 207 - 211
10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00689
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Self-Emergence of Stational Periodic Arrangement of Dual Microdroplets Through Quasi One-Dimensional Confinement
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NEWS RELEASE 20-MAR-2024 Self-Emergence of Stational Periodic Arrangement of Dual Microdroplets Through Quasi One-Dimensional Confinement
Image Credit: ACS Macro Letters
License type: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
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A research team led by Assistant Professor Shin-nosuke Nishimura and Professor Tomoyuki Koga at the Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, demonstrate a hydrogel system possessing the ability to remember its shape, offering a unique platform for controlling cell adhesion behavior.
Artificial scaffolds play an important role in tissue healing and growth. The properties of a scaffold, especially its elasticity, impact cell growth. However, adjusting the elasticity without altering composition and other properties has been challenging. Now, researchers at Doshisha University have successfully created a hydrogel with a tunable elastic modulus with the same composition. This breakthrough allows, for the first time, the control of cell adhesion on a hydrogel by adjusting the elastic modulus. Artificial scaffolds play an important role in tissue healing and growth. The properties of a scaffold, especially its elasticity, impact cell growth. However, adjusting the elasticity without altering composition and other properties has been challenging. Now, Nishimura and his colleagues have successfully created a hydrogel with a tunable elastic modulus with the same composition. This breakthrough allows, for the first time, the control of cell adhesion on a hydrogel by adjusting the elastic modulus.
Reference
Nishimura S.-N., Yoshida T., Higashi N., Koga T. Regulation of Cell Adhesion on Physically Crosslinked Hydrogels Composed of Amino Acid-Based Polymers by Changing Elastic Modulus Using Shape Fix/Memory Properties (2024) Advanced Materials Technologies
DOI:10.1002/admt.202301598
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Advancing Tissue Engineering with Shape Memory Hydrogels
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NEWS RELEASE 13-MAR-2024 Advancing Tissue Engineering with Shape Memory Hydrogels
Image Credit: Umargani Jamal Mohamed from Openverse
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Soshi Yoshida, a PhD student, and Shizuko Hiryu, a Professor, both from the Neuroethology and Bioengineering Lab, the Graduate School of Life and Medical Science, and their research team reveal how Horseshoe Bats perceive moving objects such as their predator.
The unique echolocation ability of bats enables them to “see” using sound, allowing for quick detection and avoidance of approaching threats. They achieve this by discerning changes in the frequency of reflected soundwaves or the delay. However, the specific mechanism by which they recognize approaching objects has remained unclear. To find out, researchers simulated a moving object using soundwaves and discovered that bats utilize “Doppler shifts” or frequency changes to perceive approaching objects.
Reference
Soshi Yoshida, Kazuma Hase, Olga Heim, Kohta I. Kobayasi, and Shizuko Hiryu. 2024. Doppler detection triggers instantaneous escape behavior in scanning bats. iScience.
DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2024.109222
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Nature’s Sonar: Scientists Reveal How Japanese Horseshoe Bats Perceive Moving Objects
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NEWS RELEASE 28-FEB-2024 Nature’s Sonar: Scientists Reveal How Japanese Horseshoe Bats Perceive Moving Objects
Image Credit: Soshi Yoshida from Doshisha University, Japan
License type: CC BY 4.0
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first published on Dec. 20th, 2023
Doshisha Business School (DBS, Graduate School of Business) obtained international accreditation for its MBA program from AMBA (The Association of MBAs: United Kingdom) on October 18, 2023. Established in 1967 in the UK, AMBA is one of the three most prestigious international accreditation bodies in the world, alongside AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business: United States) and EFMD (The European Foundation for Management Development: Belgium). As of October 2023, only about 2% of business schools worldwide, totaling 305 schools, have obtained international accreditation from AMBA. This achievement by Doshisha Business School marks only the fourth Business School in Japan to achieve AMBA accreditation, also making it the first AMBA accredited Business School in the Kansai region. Doshisha Business School (DBS) has formally established its world-class educational quality and research activities through the accreditation evaluation process by such a respected international third party. This international accreditation certifies that the education provided by DBS embodies the spirit of conscientious education and leverages the wisdom that blends Kyoto's tradition and innovation, nurturing leaders possessing high levels of integrity who can also contribute to the sustainable development of economies and societies globally. DBS will continue to utilize AMBA's global network to constantly improve the quality of education that is offered and aim to continue to improve the value that it provides to its students and alumni. Through its unique MBA program, offered in both Japanese and English, DBS promises to nurture leaders who will forge a new era and contribute to the creation of a better society.
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Hitomi Yutaka, a Professor, and Pijush Kanti Roy, a Ph.D. candidate, both from the Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, and their research team propose a new titanium dioxide-catalyzed strategy for synthesizing thiochromenopyrroledione derivatives in blue light.
Thiochromenopyrroledione derivatives, while not yet recognized as a primary structure in pharmaceuticals, contain sulfur, an element frequently found in many drugs, indicating their potential in medicinal applications. Recently, the researchers demonstrated that the blue-light irradiation of 4-substituted thioanisoles and N-substituted maleimides with titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst led to a dual carbon–carbon bond formation reaction. The study presents titanium dioxide as an eco-friendly catalyst for thiochromenopyrroledione derivatives synthesis and advances innovative methods for organic synthesis.
Kanti Roy P., Okunaka S., Tokudome H., Hitomi Y. Blue Light-Promoted Synthesis of Thiochromenopyrroledione Derivatives via Titanium Dioxide-Catalyzed Dual Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation with Thioanisole and Maleimide Derivatives (2023) Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis
DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202301021
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Chemical Synthesis Using Titanium Dioxide: An Eco-Friendly and Innovative Approach
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NEWS RELEASE 1-JAN-2024 Chemical Synthesis Using Titanium Dioxide: An Eco-Friendly and Innovative Approach
Image Credit: Professor Yutaka Hitomi from Doshisha University
License type: Original content
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Kiyotaka Obunai, an Associate Professor, and Kazuya Okubo, a Professor, both from the Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, have investigated how using superheated steam can help preserve the properties of fibers recovered from waste carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) via thermal decomposition.The demand for CFRPs for aerospace, automotive, and renewable energy applications has recently skyrocketed, creating the need for efficient ways to recycle these composites. Their findings could open doors to more sustainable manufacturing processes and a reduced environmental impact in industries reliant on CFRPs, contributing to a greener future.
Reference
Obunai K., Okubo K. Mechanical characteristics of reclaimed carbon fibre under superheated steam atmosphere and its feasibility for remanufacturing CFRP/CFRTP (2024) Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 176, art. no. 107843
DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2023.107843
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Reclaiming Carbon Fibers from Discarded Composite Materials
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NEWS RELEASE 16-NOV-2023: Reclaiming Carbon Fibers from Discarded Composite Materials
Image Credit: LunchboxLarry at Openverse
License type: CC BY 2.0
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Atsushi Hatanaka, a graduate student, and Akira Kobayashi, a professor, both from the Laboratory for Genetic Code, Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, and their research team discovered the hidden mechanism of "aggrephagy," with major implications for degenerative protein diseases.
In cells, the ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS) plays a key role in the elimination of unwanted or misfolded proteins. When UPS fails, cells activate a backup process called "aggrephagy" for clearing ubiquitin-tagged proteins. However, the associated mechanism behind this process remains unknown. Recently, Hatanaka, Kobayashi, and their colleagues have demonstrated how another protein called NRF1 facilitates aggrephagy, thereby providing new therapeutic targets for diseases resulting from misfolded proteins.
These findings pave the way toward developing novel therapeutics for degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies.
Reference
Hatanaka A., Nakada S., Matsumoto G., Satoh K., Aketa I., Watanabe A., Hirakawa T., Tsujita T., Waku T., Kobayashi A. The transcription factor NRF1 (NFE2L1) activates aggrephagy by inducing p62 and GABARAPL1 after proteasome inhibition to maintain proteostasis (2023) Scientific Reports, 13 (1), art. no. 14405
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41492-9
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Study Reveals Novel Therapeutic Target to Eliminate Unwanted and Misfolded Proteins
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NEWS RELEASE 4-OCT-2023 Study Reveals Novel Therapeutic Target to Eliminate Unwanted and Misfolded Proteins
Image Credit: Atsushi Hatanaka, Sota Nakada, Gen Matsumoto, Katsuya Satoh, Iori Aketa, Akira Watanabe, Tomoaki Hirakawa, Tadayuki Tsujita, Tsuyoshi Waku, and Akira Kobayashi
License type: CC BY 4.0
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A research team headed by Professor Daisuke Koyama and graduate student Ms. Reina Kobayashi, from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, reported, “novel measurement technique can help develop targeted therapeutic strategies that use microbubbles and ultrasound to deliver drugs to specific locations.”
Vascular drug therapies often lead to undesirable side effects on healthy tissues. Addressing this issue requires targeted drug delivery systems. They have recently developed an innovative approach for measuring the amount of molecules desorbed from the surface of individual microbubbles when irradiated with ultrasound. Using this technique, they analyzed the desorption process in detail, revealing insights that could enable the design of next-generation drug delivery systems based on drug-loaded microbubbles and ultrasound.
Reference
I Kobayashi R., Narita J., Nakaoka N., Krafft M.P., Koyama D. Quantitative estimation of phospholipid molecules desorbed from a microbubble surface under ultrasound irradiation (2023) Scientific Reports, 13 (1), art. no. 13693.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40823-0
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Unveiling the Science of Ultrasound-Driven Microbubble Desorption
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NEWS RELEASE 21-SEP-2023 Unveiling the Science of Ultrasound-Driven Microbubble Desorption
Image Credit:Daisuke Koyama and Reina Kobayashi
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Shin-ichi Ishikawa, professor at the Faculty of Psychology, and his colleagues summarize how cognitive-behavioral therapies have been successfully adapted and implemented for youth in Japan.
Although cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) have grown in popularity globally, they face barriers to implementation outside Western countries. In a new article, Ishikawa and his colleagues discuss that CBT is being successfully used to treat anxiety disorder and depression among the country’s youth. They also identified the most successful CBT programs and specific strategies for implementing CBT programs in non-Western cultures to improve the quality of life of youth suffering from mental illnesses.
Reference
Ishikawa, Si., Kishida, K., Takahashi, T. et al. Cultural Adaptation and Implementation of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychosocial Interventions for Anxiety and Depression in Japanese Youth. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 26, 727–750 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-023-00446-3
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Culture-friendly Therapies for Treating Anxiety and Depression in Japanese Youth
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NEWS RELEASE 7-SEP-2023 Culture-friendly Therapies for Treating Anxiety and Depression in Japanese Youth
Image Credit:Shin-ichi Ishikawa and Yoko Kamio
Image Source Link to be added in the Image Credit Section of EA form: http://mentalhealthprogram.jp/
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Dr. Tsuguhiko Kato, Researcher, and Dr. Shoji Itakura, Fellow Professor and Director at the Center for Baby Science at Doshisha University, and their colleagues showed the importance of paternal involvement in infant care and its key developmental impacts among Japanese children.
The extent of paternal involvement in childcare has been historically restricted in Japan because of the ingrained gender-based division of labor. However, recent trends show a paradigm shift in paternal parenting attitudes across Japan. A recent study examines paternal care among 6-month-old Japanese infants and its impact on various developmental outcomes at the age of 3 years. The study also assessed the impact of reduction of maternal parenting stress on childcare outcomes.
Reference
Kato T., Fujii M., Kanatani K., Niwa F., Hirabayashi K., Nakayama T., Itakura S., et al. (2023) Paternal involvement in infant care and developmental milestone outcomes at age 3 years: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). Pediatr Res.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-023-02723-x
For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Research News: Father-child bonding and its impact on pediatric developmental outcomes
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NEWS RELEASE 24-AUG-2023 Father-child bonding and its impact on pediatric developmental outcomes
Image Credit: Tsuguhiko Kato from Doshisha University
Image Source Link to be added in the Image Credit Section of EA form: n/a
License type: Original content
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