The e-mail magazine "Qdai-mail Tsushin" delivers campus news
every month.

****************************************************************

Friday, December 25, 2020

◆Notes on infectious disease control related to the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) are posted on the University website.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/crisismanagement/riskmanagement/coronavirus

==================================
**Topics


------------------------------------------------------------
*Department of Earth Resources Engineering receives JICA 
 President Award
 ~~~~~~~~~~
The Department of Earth Resources Engineering in the Faculty of 
Engineering of Kyushu University has received a 16th JICA President Award 
from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for its long-term 
contribution to the worldwide human resource development in the 
geothermal field. 

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/view/402


------------------------------------------------------------
*Mathematical Sciences Fighting with Infectious Diseases (Held online)
 ~~~~~~~~~~
On Saturday, October 31, 2020, the Institute of Mathematics for Industry, 
Kyushu University, hosted a special collaborative online session 
"Mathematical Sciences Fighting with Infectious Diseases" together with 
three mathematics-related academic societies at the "Interdisciplinary / 
Inter-industry Research Exchange Meeting 2020."

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/view/403


==================================
**Research


------------------------------------------------------------
*Directly capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with membranes
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Researchers from Kyushu University’s International Institute for 
Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER) in collaboration with 
NanoMembrane Technologies Inc. now report that 
state-of-the-art separation membranes could provide a practical and 
flexible method for directly capturing CO2 from the atmosphere.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/182


------------------------------------------------------------
*New mechanism of pain control revealed
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Researchers led by Makoto Tsuda, professor at
Kyushu University’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
have revealed a previously unknown mechanism for pain control
involving a newly identified group of cells in the spinal cord,
offering a potential target for enhancing the therapeutic effect
of drugs for chronic pain.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/184


------------------------------------------------------------
*Safe, easy, and rapid measurement of eye lens opacity and transmission
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Objective measurement of the opacity and transmittance of the
lens in the human eye may one day become a simple and
rapid process routinely performed at eye clinics thanks in
part to a new system developed by an international team led
by Shigekazu Higuchi, professor of the Faculty of Design,
and graduate student Taisuke Eto at Kyushu University.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/183


------------------------------------------------------------
*Mental health app supports university students
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Despite widespread recognition of the importance of mental health, 
only a fraction of university students and other young people with a 
mental disorder receive mental health care.
To address this gap and better support university students’ mental health, 
Kyushu University researchers independently developed a smartphone app 
called the ‘Mental App’ through a unique collaborative effort combining 
psychiatry and arts and design studies.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/185


------------------------------------------------------------
*Molecules convert visible light into ultraviolet light with record efficiency
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Light-powered processes from hydrogen production to air
purification could see a boost in performance under ambient
light thanks to a new material system develop at Kyushu
University that can directly convert visible light into ultraviolet
light with an efficiency that doubles previous records.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/186


------------------------------------------------------------
*Inflammation and biology’s “ubiquitous” protein
   ~~~~~~~~~~
An international team of researchers led by Fumiyo Ikeda of
Kyushu University’s Medical Institute of Bioregulation and the
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy
of Sciences (IMBA) in Vienna have discovered a mechanism
for how inflammation is regulated by a small modifier protein
found so prolifically throughout regulatory processes in
biology that it has earned the name ubiquitin

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/187


------------------------------------------------------------
*Viewing cell colony expansion through statistical physics
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Based on experimental observations and modeling, researchers 
from Kyushu University have now shown that the dynamic scaling 
law in epithelial cell colony expansion is formed by a tug-of-war 
between adhesion of cells and differences in cell motility.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/188


------------------------------------------------------------
*Oh so simple: Eight genes enough to convert mouse stem 
 cells into oocyte-like cells
   ~~~~~~~~~~
Researchers led by Katsuhiko Hayashi, professor at
Kyushu University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences, report
that activating just eight genes for producing gene-controlling
proteins is enough to convert mouse stem cells directly
into oocyte-like cells that mature and can even be fertilized
like egg cells.

https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/189



==================================
**Events


------------------------------------------------------------
*Taiwan Today 【Epidemic and Taiwan: the past and present】
Date:2020.12.26 [Sat] 8:40 - 2021.1.30 [Sat] 13:20
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events/view/172
------------------------------------------------------------
Every year Taiwan Studies Program and the 21st Century Program 
organize an intensive course, Taiwan Today (台湾事情), 
covering various issues in contemporary Taiwanese society. 
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s course will be offered online.


------------------------------------------------------------
*FY2020 the 3rd I2CNER Webinar
Date:2021.1.13 [Wed] 9:00 - 10:00
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events/view/173
------------------------------------------------------------
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research(I2CNER)
will hold the 3rd I2CNER Webinar for FY2020 by inviting 
Prof. Ian M. Robertson from University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. 
We look forward to your participation.
***************************************************************
** Stay Connected
------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.facebook.com/KyushuUniv.en/
https://twitter.com/KyushuUniv_en
https://www.youtube.com/user/KyushuUniv
****************************************************************
Qdai-mail Tsushin is published by Lifetime E-mail Account Service
Kyushu University.

* Update subscription preferences (For Users of The lifetime e-mail
address (@kyudai.jp) ONLY)
https://kyudai.jp/en/login.cgi