The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Kobe University Hospital is nationally known for its sports medicine. They support professional baseball, football, rugby, and other sports teams, accompanying them to games and camps. They are athletes’ last resort for recovering from injuries and also provide a variety of support services, such as health screenings, to junior high, high school, and university students. What is their role as a group of medical specialists and how do they contribute to the community? We asked KURODA Ryosuke, professor at and the chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Graduate School of Medicine.

Minocycline prevents age-related cognitive decline: Discovery focusing on the Rp58 gene

Electric devices and vehicles offer a sustainable and economical alternative to fuel-driven machines. However, concerns about the safety and longevity of conventional lithium ion batteries (LIBs) persist. A study from Doshisha University aimed to develop a novel flame-retardant quasi-solid-state battery by combining solid and liquid electrolytes. With higher safety and durability and improved performance, the new LIB has the potential to transform the applications of electric vehicles and devices.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created nanostructured alumina surfaces which are strongly antibacterial but can be used to culture cells. They found that anodic porous alumina (APA) surfaces prepared using electrochemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid had unprecedented resistance to bacterial growth, but did not hamper cell cultures. The team’s technology promises to have a big impact on regenerative medicine, where high quality cell cultures without bacterial contamination may be produced without antibiotics.

Researchers Ibuki Taniuchi, Ryota Akiyama, Rei Hobara, and Shuji Hasegawa of the University of Tokyo have demonstrated that the direction of the spin-polarized current can be restricted to only one direction in a single-atom layer of a thallium-lead alloys when irradiated at room temperature. The discovery defies conventions: single-atom layers have been thought to be almost completely transparent, in other words, negligibly absorbing or interacting with light. The one-directional flow of the current observed in this study makes possible functionality beyond ordinary diodes, paving the way for more environmentally friendly data storage, ultra-fine two-dimensional spintronic devices, in the future. The findings were published in the journal ACS Nano.

Researchers have developed a new process that uses microwave flow reaction and recyclable solid catalysts to efficiently hydrolyze polysaccharides into simple sugars. The developed device utilizes a continuous-flow hydrolysis process, where cellobiose is passed through a sulfonated carbon catalyst that is heated using microwaves, resulting in the efficient conversion of cellobiose to glucose.

A team led by researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a dataset of the whole atmosphere, enabling new research to be conducted on previously difficult-to-study regions. Using a new data-assimilation system called JAGUAR-DAS, which combines numerical modeling with observational data, the team created a nearly 20-yearlong set of data spanning multiple levels of the atmosphere from ground level up to the lower edges of space. Being able to study the interactions of these layers vertically and around the globe could improve climate modeling and seasonal weather forecasting. There is also potential for interdisciplinary research between atmospheric scientists and space scientists, to investigate the interplay between space and our atmosphere and how it affects us on Earth.  

Valence electrons exhibit electrical conductivity and magnetism. Initially, we studied magnetic spin ordering in triangular lattice semiconductors using light. However, about half of these electrons did not directly contribute to magnetism. Instead, two such electrons formed weakly bound pairs, similar to superconductors. Considering all valence electrons, the system resembles a quantum spin liquid. Our findings show that these previously overlooked "inactive" electrons play a vital role in quantum properties.

Researchers have finished equipping the Subaru Telescope with a new special “compound eye,” culminating several years of effort. This new eye is an instrument featuring approximately 2,400 prisms scattered across the extremely wide field of view available at the Subaru Telescope’s primary focus, allowing for simultaneous spectroscopic observation of thousands of celestial objects. This unrivaled capability will help researchers precisely understand the formation and evolution of galaxies and the Universe. Among 8-meter-class telescopes, the Subaru Telescope is the most competitive with the largest survey capability in the world. This instrument, the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), will be ready to begin scientific operations in February 2025.