Achievements | TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

Discovery of giant Rashba effect at the semiconductor-metal interface -A significant progress for next-generation energy-saving devices-

2012-04-06T00:47:24Z

The research group, consisting of Akari Takayama (doctoral student) at Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Professor Takashi Takahashi at WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University and Professor Tamio Oguchi at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial research, Osaka University, has discovered a giant Rashba effect, at the interface between a semiconductor (silicon) and a metal (bismuth). The Rashba effect is regarded as a central mechanism to create and control the spin-flow in advanced spintronic devices. The discovery was achieved with a high-resolution spin-resolved photoemission spectrometer constructed by the research team at Tohoku University. The present discovery would open a way to the development of next-generation spintronic devices which effectively utilize the novel function of interface as in electronic devices.

The paper is published in Nano Letters on April 11, 2012. The title of paper is "Tunable Spin Polarization in Bismuth Ultrathin Film on Si(111)".

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[Contact]

Doctoral Student Akari Takayama

Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University

Tel: +81-22-217-6169

E-mail：a.takayama*arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Takashi Takahashi

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Tel: +81-22-795-6417

E-mail：t.takahashi*arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

In vivo imaging of the amyloid accumulation in the myocardium

2012-04-02T00:55:53Z

In previous studies, a research group led by Associate Professor Katsutoshi Furukawa and Professor Hiroyuki Arai at Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University visualized senile plaques of Alzheimer’s disease in vivo with BF-227, the amyloid PET tracer. This research group, in collaboration with a research group led by Professor Shu-ichi Ikeda at Shinshu University, has successfully visualized accumulation of transthyretin, another kind of amyloid, in the myocardium of patients with systemic amyloidosis, also using BF-227. This achievement has a great clinical implication since PET imaging is much less invasive than biopsy.

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[Contact]

Professor Hiroyuki Arai

Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology

Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University

Address: 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575 Japan

TEL: +81-22-717-7182 E-mail：harai*idac.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Elucidation of brainstem function of children with gastrointestinal symptoms

2012-03-22T07:01:02Z

A research group led by Professor Shin Fukudo, Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Sato and Professor Kunihiko Nakai at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has elucidated characteristics of the brainstem function of children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. This group has been pursuing causes for irritable bowel syndrome, which is especially drawing attention. The group has investigated the auditory brainstem response of 141 children aged seven. They were determined whether they have gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomachache, constipation or diarrhea or not. As a result, it has been revealed that the waveforms of children with gastrointestinal symptoms that reflect signal processing in the brainstem had a shorter latency than those of children without gastrointestinal symptoms. The research results have published in PLoS One. The paper's title is "Enhanced Auditory Brainstem Response and Parental Bonding Style in Children with Gastrointestinal Symptoms".

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[Contact]

Professor Shin Fukudo

Department of Behavioral Medicine

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-8214

E-mail: sfukudo*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

[Public Relations]

Associate Professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-7923

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Genes on the X chromosome work twice as much as those on the autosomes -Application for identification of genes cause chromosomal disorders-

2012-03-09T00:44:47Z

A human cell has 22 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes and males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Since one of two X chromosomes in female cells is inactivated, only one X chromosome become functional both in male and female cells. This is the dosage compensation mechanism between males and females. However, that means X chromosomes function half as much as autosomes. Assistant Professor Takashi Makino at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, has compared gene expression levels of X chromosome and those of autosomes, in collaboration with research groups in France and Ireland. As a result, he has discovered that expression levels of dosage-sensitive genes on the X chromosome doubled.

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[Contact]

Assistant Professor Takashi Makino

Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-6689

E-mail: tamakino*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Development of 5 terabit per square inch HDD element technology

2012-03-09T00:25:34Z

Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University has successfully proved element technologies paving the way toward realization of the next-generation 5 terabit per square inch perpendicular magnetic recording hard disk drives as achievement of the project from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology in Japan, in collaboration with Green IT Project of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) accepting from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

This achievement increases the storage capacity of hard-disk eight times of current one, and enables us to save storage energy per unit capacity. This achievement will be presented at Surugadai Memorial Hall, Chuo University, Tokyo in March 12, 2012.

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[Contact]

Professor Hiroaki Muraoka

Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-217-5456

Can light be perceived on the skin!? -Supersense of ChR2 transgenic rats-

2012-03-07T00:12:50Z

A research group led by Professor Hiromu Yawo at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University has discovered that transgenic rats which channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), one of photoreceptor proteins of a green unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, was integrated in their genomes express ChR2 in the large dorsal root ganglion cells involved in sense of touch-pressure and deep sense. In addition, ChR2 was also distributed in the sensory nerve endings in the skin. As a result, these rats have obtained "supersense" by which blue LED flashes on the plantar skin are perceived as touch-pressure but not as pain.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Hiromu Yawo

Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences

Tel: +81-22-217-6208

E-mail: yawo-hiromu*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Tohoku Neuroscience Global COE

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-7923

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Production of anti-aging and long-life mice -Application for anti-aging therapies-

2012-03-07T00:05:06Z

A research group led by Professor Hideki Katagiri and Assistant Professor Yutaka Hasegawa at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, has successfully slowed aging of mice and prolonged their life-spans, by suppressing inflammatory responses in vascular endothelial cells.

The research result has been published in Circulation on March 6, 2012.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Hideki Katagiri

Department of Metabolic Diseases,

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-8228, FAX: +81-22-717-8169

E-mail: katagiri*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908, Fax: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

A mechanism of nerve cell production from stem cells of the embryonic brain -Cyclin D2 is inherited by one of the two daughter cells and maintains it undifferentiated-

2012-03-07T00:01:28Z

It is very important that many neuronal cells are produced by cell proliferation and differentiation in the development of mammalian brains. A research group led by Professor Noriko Osumi at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and Research Fellow Yuji Tsunekawa (currently at the Scripps Research Institute) has discovered that Cyclin D2, a cell cycle regulation factor, localizes at the tip of the basal process, the most surface side the brain premordium, in the mammalian neural progenitor cells. This study has also revealed that Cyclin D2 is inherited by one of the two daughter cells with the basal process during cell divisions of neural progenitors into two daughter cells, and it plays a role to maintain the cell fates undifferentiated. In addition, since this kind of conservation of undifferentiated cells by Cyclin D2 is observed only in mammals, this mechanism can be considered to be acquired during evolution. Further studies will be expected to elucidate the mechanism for production of enormous nerve cells and growth of the human brain.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Noriko Osumi

Department of Developmental Neuroscience

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-8203

E-mail: osumi*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University

Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908

Fax: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

The development of Parkinson's disease dementia is predictable by olfaction tests -Severe hyposmia is a prodromal symptom of dementia associated with Parkinson's disease-

2012-03-02T05:32:38Z

A research group led by Associate Professor Atsushi Takeda and Dr. Toru Baba at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has revealed that olfaction tests can predict the development of dementia associated Parkinson's disease. It has been known that Parkinson's disease tends to lead dementia. Olfaction tests will enable us to identify and treat dementia earlier. This research result has been published in Brain. The paper's title is "Severe olfactory dysfunction is a prodromal symptom of dementia associated with Parkinson's disease: a 3-year longitudinal study".

This research has been supported by Global COE Program (Basic & Translational Research Center for Global Brain Science) and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Associate Professor Atsushi Takeda

Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-7189

E-mail: atakeda*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

A new cortical area for response control was discovered: primate medial prefrontal cortex dynamically participates in volitional control of action when the task requires selection of response tactics

2012-02-28T01:10:41Z

The research group led by Professor Hajime Mushiake and Assistant Professor Yoshiya Matsuzaka has discovered a new region involved in regulation of actions in the medial prefrontal cortex of primate brain. This region, called the posterior medial prefrontal cortex (pmPFC), lies in the posterior portion of the medial prefrontal cortex, whose function has not been clarified by previous neuron-recording as well as neuroimaging studies. The group discovered that this region functions during the selection of response tactics (internally-developed protocol to select response, as opposed to “rule” that is defined externally) rather than the selection of response itself, indicating that it participates in decision making at more abstract level than simply deciding specific actions. More surprisingly, the group also revealed that its neural representation of task performance was dynamic in that it disappeared when only a single tactic was imposed. This functional reorganization, which did not occur in adjacent cortical areas, was unique to pmPFC. These discoveries are expected to advance understanding of neural mechanisms of decision making. Further, the present results can lead to the understanding of higher brain functions, treatment for dementia, and human-machine interface.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Hajime Mushiake

Department of Physiology

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-8073

E-mail: hmushiak*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Respiratory Cilia Revealed

2012-02-13T06:06:17Z

Mucociliary clearance on the surface of the tracheal lumen is an important component of lung defense against dust mites, viruses. Fluid on the surface of the tracheal lumen flows toward mouth as a result of effective ciliary motion. However, the axonemal structure and the mechanisms by which discretely distributed ciliary cells generate directional flow have been unknown. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of the ciliary motion, Ueno et al. analyzed the axonemal structure of respiratory cilia by cryo-electron tomography and image processing. Interestingly, respiratory cilia have the asymmetric structure, suggesting that they generates overall directional flow with the asymmetric ciliary motion on sparsely distributed ciliated cells.

The research result will be published in Nanomedicine -Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine. The paper's title is "Mouse respiratory cilia with the asymmetric axonemal structure on sparsely distributed ciliary cells can generate overall directional flow".

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[Contact]

Assistant Professor Hironori Ueno

International Advanced Research and Education Organization, Tohoku University

Address: 6-6-11 Aoba Aramaki Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan

Phone: +81-22-714-8514 Fax: +81-22-795-6959

E-mail: h-ueno*pfsl.mech.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

HP: http://www.pfsl.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

Discovery of the retrograde melanosome transport complex in melanocytes - Expected molecular target for preventing gray hairs? -

2012-01-30T00:01:48Z

Tohoku University has elucidated a mechanism for "microtubule-dependent retrograde melanosome transport", that is, reversed transport of melanin pigments along the microtubules. This research result has been acquired by Assistant Professor Norihiko Ohbayashi and Professor Mitsunori Fukuda at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University.

Melanin pigments, sources of our skin color and hair color, are synthesized by melanogenic enzymes in melanocytes, and are stored in specialized organelles called melanosomes. Mature melanosomes are transported to the plasma membrane, along two kinds of cytoskeletal networks, microtubules and actin filaments. First, melanosomes are delivered to the peripheral area in the cell by long-distance and bidirectional (anterograde and retrograde) microtubule-dependent transport. Next, melanosomes are conveyed close to the plasma membrane by short-distance one-way actin-dependent transport. Melanosomes are eventually transferred to neighboring keratinocytes and hair matrix cells, which produce skin and hairs, respectively. This process makes skin and hairs black. Although the mechanism of actin-dependent melanosome transport by small GTPase Rab27A had been revealed, long-distance microtubule-dependent melanosome transport has not been elucidated at all.

In this study, the research group has uncovered that a transport complex including melanoregulin (Mreg) is involved in the process of microtubule-dependent retrograde melanosome transport, by using cultured mouse melanocytes. It has been revealed that Mreg on mature melanosomes forms a complex with dynein, a kind of motor protein, via Rab interacting lysosomal protein (RILP) and transports melanosomes in a retrograde fashion, that is, from near the plasma membrane to the perinuclear area in the cell.

This study has revealed that Mreg deficiency nearly restores melanosome distribution from perinuclear melanosome aggregation in Rab27A-deficient melanocytes. Hence, screening of medical agents inhibiting Mreg functions will lead to prevent our hairs from becoming gray.

The research result has been published online in The Journal of Cell Science. The paper's title is "Melanoregulin regulates retrograde melanosome transport through interaction with the RILP•p150^Glued complex in melanocytes".

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Mitsunori Fukuda

Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-7731

E-mail: nori*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Tohoku Neuroscience Global COE

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-7923

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Spin/charge currents conversion in silicon using relativistic effects -The significant progress for development of next-generation super energy-saving devices-

2012-01-18T04:48:38Z

A research group led by Assistant Professor Kazuya Ando and Professor Eiji Saitoh at Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University has achieved the conversion between spin and charge currents in silicon, by using relativistic effects.

Silicon is one of the most fundamental semiconductors included in latest electronic devices, such as computers and cell-phones. Since silicon has outstanding material properties, it is expected to play a crucial role in Spintronics, which is drawing attention as an energy-saving electronic device technology. Spintronics utilizes spin currents of electrons instead of charge currents. One of the highest-priority issues for realizing new-generation spintronics devices such as silicon-based quantum computers and ultra-low power consumption information processing device is establishment of spin/charge currents conversion in silicon in order to retrieve computational results by spin current and stored spin information.

In this study, the research group has successfully retrieved spin currents in silicon as charge currents through the spin-orbit interaction from relativistic effects. The research results is expected to pave the way to silicon spintronics, which is highly consistent with latest electronics device production processing technology, and to greatly advance to development of environmentally-friendly next generation energy-saving devices.

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[Contact]

(About the research)

Assistant Professor Kazuya Ando

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Tel: +81-22-215-2023

E-mail: ando*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Eiji Saitoh

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Tel: +81-22-215-2021

E-mail: eizi*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Administrative staff Keisuke Mito

Administration Division Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.

TEL: +81-22-215-2181, FAX: +81-22-215-2184

E-mail: imr-som*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Recalculation of the total fertility rate among 47 prefectures -Marked decrease in 2005 and V-shaped recovery in 2006-

2011-12-08T00:33:12Z

Yoshida Laboratory, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University has recalculated and released the total fertility rate (2000-2010) among 47 prefectures to determine it more accurately. The total fertility rate published by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been pointed out that we cannot compare the figures of the years in which national census was carried out and not carried out. According to the recalculation, the total fertility rate has turned out to greatly decrease in 2005 among all prefectures, but showed V-shaped recovery in 2006.

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[Contact]

Professor Hiroshi Yoshida

Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University

E-mail: hyoshida*econ.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-22-795-6292

Doctoral Student Norio Ishii

Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University

E-mail: a9em1003*student.econ.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-90-7799-2091

New excited state of Carbon-12 nucleus -A clue to the mystery of the origin of life-

2011-11-21T06:26:44Z

A research group led by Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Tohoku University, Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Konan University, University of Notre Dame and some other institutions has discovered a new excited state of Carbon-12 nucleus which plays a crucial role in the nucleosynthesis in the Universe, through the high-precision measurement of nuclear scattering by using a ring-cyclotron accelerator. This discovery is expected to advance the understanding of the elemental abundance in the Universe and provides insights in resolving the mystery of the origin of life.

This result has been published in "Physical Review C" on November 14, 2011 and has been introduced in “Physics Viewpoint.”

Article in Physics Viewpoint

http://physics.aps.org/articles/v4/94

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[Contact]

Assistant Professor Masatoshi Itoh

Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-7796

E-mail: itoh*cyric.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Associate Professor Mamoru Fujiwara

Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University

TEL: +81-6-6879-8914

E-mail: fujiwara*rcnp.osaka-u.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Associate Professor Takahiro Kawabata

Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University

TEL: +81-75-753-3832

E-mail:kawabata*scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Direct observation of ultra-diluted impurities in ceramics -Discovery of an unexpected superstructure arising from an interaction between impurities and defects segregated at grain boundary-

2011-11-17T00:36:48Z

A research group led by Professor Yuichi Ikuhara at WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University (concurrently serving as Professor at School of Engineering, University of Tokyo and Senior Researcher at Japan Fine Ceramic Center (JFCC)), and Assistant Professor Zhongchang Wang at WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University has discovered that very small amount of impurities on grain boundaries of ceramics (magnesium oxide) form an unexpected superstructure at the atomic level, through the observation with an atom-resolved aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope and the supercomputing calculation. That is, they have revealed that impurities inside of a ceramic crystal accumulate at grain boundaries and form ordered three-dimensional structure (superstructure). Since even a very small amount (at ppm-level) of impurities may change characteristics of ceramics and enhance fluctuation of product properties, it had been difficult to extend the commercial uses of ceramics. This study has found that an origin resulting in fluctuation of the properties is significant transformation of atomic structures by segregation of ultra-diluted impurities at/near grain boundaries. In other words, this research has visualized the position of impurities which is too small amount to detect, and has elucidated the role of impurities for changing the properties. This study will be expected to greatly improve performance and reliability of ceramics by controlling impurities to significantly contribute to inhibit fluctuations of the properties, and develop unprecedented materials which superstructures are controlled by applying intentionally impurities.

This research result will be published online in Nature on November 16, 2011. The paper’s title is “Atom-resolved imaging of ordered defect superstructures at individual grain boundaries”. This research has been conducted with the aid of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas, ”Atomic Scale Modification (474)”, from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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[Contact]

Professor Yuichi Ikuhara

Institute of Engineering Innovation,

School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

Address: 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

TEL: +81-3-5841-7688

E-mail：ikuhara*sigma.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Assistant Professor Zhongchang Wang

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5934

E-mail：zcwang*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Discovery of dressed-cells which inhibit delayed allergic reaction

2011-11-04T00:51:10Z

A research group led by Professor Koetsu Ogasawara at Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University has discovered new cells which inhibit delayed allergic reaction such as contact dermatitis(ex. metallic allergy, rash and drug sensitivity) and immune reaction in transplantation and has named them dressed-cells.

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[Contact]

Professor Koetsu Ogasawara

Department of Immunobiology Institute of Development,

Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-717-8579

Structural observation of oxide nanoclusters in ODS steels - Elucidation for its superior high-temperature strength and resistance to neutron irradiation -

2011-10-24T06:03:51Z

A research group led by Assistant Professor Akihiko Hirata and Professor Mingwei Chen has revealed the structure of oxide nanoclusters in Oxide Dispersed Strengthened (ODS) steels, using an aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. This achievement is important for understanding properties of ODS steels, such as their superior high-temperature strength and resistance to neutron irradiation.

The research result will be published online in Nature Materials on October 23, 2011. The paper's title is "Atomic structure of nanoclusters in oxide dispersion strengthened steels."

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[Contact]

Assistant Professor Akihiko Hirata

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5959 Fax: +81-22-217-5955

E-mail: hirata*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Mingwei Chen

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5992 Fax: +81-22-217-5955

E-mail: mwchen*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Light makes lumps of spin - Light irradiation magnetizes non-magnetic materials -

2011-10-13T01:12:17Z

A research group led by Associate Professor Sumio Ishihara at GraduateSchool of Science, Tohoku University has indicated that light irradiation causes high-speed “spin transition”, which is the change of spin size in metal-oxides, and makes lumps (the bound state) of spin, through theoretical simulation. The research result has been published online in Physical Review Letters on October 14, 2011. The paper’s title is “Photoinduced change in the spin state of itinerant correlated electron system.”

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[Contact]

Asssociate Professor Sumio Ishihara

Department of Physics Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University

Tel: +81-22-795-6436

E-mail: ishihara*mpt.phys.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Usage of clarithromycin for COPD and other neutrophilic inflammatory airway diseases has been allowed -Development of treatment method for severe COPD-

2011-10-07T04:40:06Z

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has issued notices allowing the use of clarithromycin, one of macrolide antimicrobial agents, for neutrophilic inflammatory airway diseases on September 28, 2011. The use of clarithromycin for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has been suggested by the research group led by Professor Mutsuo Yamaya at Tohoku University. The third edition of COPD guideline of Japanese Respiratory Society, revised by Professor Mutsuo Yamaya and other research groups in Japan, has been adopted as a reference of the notices. Other researchers in Europe and the U.S. also confirmed effectiveness of macrolide antibiotics for COPD. This achievement is expected to improve COPD symptoms and decrease death rate from COPD. Hereafter, the dosage and administration of clarithromycin will be adjusted. Its use for Diffuse panbronchiolitis, which was suggested earlier by Professor Emeritus Shoji Kudoh at Nippon Medical School, will be also considered.

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[Contact]

Professor Mutsuo Yamaya

Department of Advanced Preventive Medicine for Infectious Disease,

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-7184

E-mail: myamaya*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

[Public Relations]

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)