Information Delivery is crucial to how citizens perceive Government action and policy
 Transparent government practices and communication can enhance citizen trust and foster a positive relationship between the government and citizens.

Yu Noda, Professor at the Graduate School of Policy Science, Faculty of Policy Studies, underscores the need for effective government communication to inform citizens about fiscal policies and improve transparency.

Effective communication between the government and citizens is necessary for good governance and civic engagement. A recent study conducted by Noda highlights how effective information delivery affects citizen trust, satisfaction, and perceptions of government finances. His findings not only point towards crucial directions for investigating the learning effects of information delivery by local governments but also advocate for effective strategies aimed at fostering positive relationships between citizens and governments through such endeavors.

Reference
Noda, Y. (2024). Information on local financial reforms and cognitive processes of citizens. International Review of Administrative Sciences.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523241240128

For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
[Research News] Understanding the Crucial Role of Information Delivery in Improving Citizen Perceptions of Government Policy: Insights from Kyoto City

This achievement has also been featured in the “EurekAlert!.”
NEWS RELEASE 9-MAY-2024, Understanding the Crucial Role of Information Delivery in Improving Citizen Perceptions of Government Policy: Insights from Kyoto City

Image Credit: "Kyoto City Government - panoramio" by ccfarmer 
License type:CC BY 3.0

The search for sustainable method to produce acetylene
Acetylene is widely used in across many industries, including the production of resins and plastics like PVC. Realizing an environmentally friendly technique to synthesize it would represent a massive step towards building sustainable societies.

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
License type: CC BY

Developing hydrogel scaffolds with tunable elastic modulus for tissue engineering
Researchers have developed a hydrogel composed of poly(N-acryloylglycinamide) (PNAGAm) grafted with arginine (R)–glycine (G)–aspartic acid (D)–serine (S) peptide whose elastic modulus can be changed by simply compressing it to different thicknesses.

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.

Investigating how Japanese horseshoe bats perceive moving objects.
Researchers from Doshisha University have found that horseshoe bats exhibit rapid changes in vocalizations and behavior primarily in response to Doppler shifts.

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.

In this program, Japanese language classes are thoroughly taught by faculty members of the Center for Japanese Language and Culture. There are many daily assignments, and every year many Korea University students have mastered the Japanese language and deepened their understanding of Japanese culture. And it's not just about the language. The program also includes various hands-on learning experiences that are only possible in Japan, such as a Zen meditation experience, and an aikido experience. One of the most attractive aspects of studying abroad is the chance to meet and interact with people. Many Doshisha students again participated in the program as supporters and study volunteers, assisting in classes, holding welcome and farewell parties, and making efforts to interact with the students on a daily basis. They helped the students with conversation practice and presentation preparation, and deepened their friendship with the international students by interacting with them as young people outside of the study program.

Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) as energy-efficient structural materials.
Thanks to their light weight yet remarkable strength, the use of CFRPs in the automobile, aerospace, and renewable energy industries is soaring. However, this means finding effective ways to recycle the waste generated by CFRPs is essential to ensure sustainability in the long term.

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

This achievement has also been featured in the “EurekAlert!.”
NEWS RELEASE 16-NOV-2023: Reclaiming Carbon Fibers from Discarded Composite Materials

Schematic representation of NRF1-triggered activation of aggrephagy mediated by impaired proteasome activity
The ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are protein degradation pathways essential for maintaining protein balance and regulation, or proteostasis (left panel). When proteasome activity decreases because of several reasons including chemical inhibitors and aging, the transcription factor NRF1 gets activated, leading to the upregulation of proteasome gene expression (“the proteasome bounce-back response;” middle panel). Furthermore, complete proteasome dysfunction activates NRF1-mediated aggrephagy, inducing the expression of the aggrephagy-related genes p62 and GABARAPL1 (right). These cellular responses help combat proteasome dysfunction by maintaining proteostasis.

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.