Latest news with #KumamotoUniversity
Borneo Post
10-08-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Curtin Malaysia students win best presentation at International Chemical Engineering Summer Programme in Thailand
MIRI (Aug 10): Five undergraduate students from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at Curtin University Malaysia recently participated in the prestigious 'Chemical Engineering Entech Summer Programme' in Thailand. Hosted by Silpakorn University and supported by Nagoya University (Japan) and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), the four-day programme brought together participants from Curtin Malaysia, Kumamoto University (Japan), and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). The event combined academic immersion, cultural exploration, and international networking to offer a transformative global learning experience. During the programme, students engaged in hands-on sustainability workshops, field visits, and research presentations led by renowned academics including Prof Armando T. Quitain from Kumamoto University, and Assoc Prof Dr Worapon Kiatkittipong of Silpakorn University. The Curtin Malaysia team clinched the Best Presentation Award for their creative engineering solution focused on enhancing coconut sugar production using sustainable techniques. Participants were also immersed in Thai culture – crafting traditional desserts and tie-dye fabrics at Tara House & Water Sports, and exploring iconic attractions such as the Amphawa Floating Market and the vibrant Maeklong Railway Market. The programme concluded with a visit to Phra Pathommachedi, one of the tallest Buddhist stupas in the world – a fitting end to a journey that combined engineering insight and cultural discovery. Assoc Prof Bridgid Chin from Curtin Malaysia's Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, who accompanied the students, praised the programme for providing global exposure and supporting the university's commitment to produce industry-ready graduates. 'This programme exemplifies the kind of high-impact, cross-cultural learning we strive to offer at Curtin Malaysia. It is an important part of nurturing globally competent engineers equipped to solve real-world problems,' she said. She added that Curtin Malaysia looks forward to such international collaborations, empowering students with the skills, mindset, and global perspective needed to thrive in the evolving fields of engineering and sustainability.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Matcha Tea: This It-girl staple beverage has "antidepressant-like effects"
Your choice of beverage can do more than leave you refreshed. One of the most popular beverages, which is undoubtedly an It-girl staple, has some antidepressant effects. Yes, we are talking about matcha. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Looks like matcha tea is in trend for all the right reasons. A study has found that matcha tea powder has antidepressant-like effects. A study led by researchers at Kumamoto University found matcha tea's beneficial effects on beating depression. The findings of the study are published in the journal. What is matcha tea Matcha, a traditional Japanese tea, has been touted for its health benefits—it can boost mood and mental performance in humans and mice alike—but more mechanistic research is required. Matcha is a traditional Japanese tea. It comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, and matcha powder is traditionally used to make tea. Known for its health benefits, this powdered green tea is popular among tea connoisseurs everywhere. Matcha has made a comeback in the recent decade, thanks to social media, and its ability to fit into modern aesthetics. You can find matcha in almost every cafe, and it is available as matcha shots, lattes, teas, and even desserts. Matcha's effects on mental health A team led by Dr. Yuki Kurauchi of Kumamoto University studied the effects of Matcha on depression-like behavior in mice. Depression is the most prevalent mental health concern across the globe, with numbers rising day by day. Though the onset of depression varies among individuals, it is believed that the disease commonly stems from a reduction in dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays an important role in elevating one's mood and making a person feel happy, accomplished, and motivated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Antidepressants often try to counter the effect of low dopamine; however, they come with their share of side effects. Also, growing studies confirm that people have developed antidepressant resistance, which requires higher doses with time or a frequent change in medication. This has led to the search of a natural product, and is just that. The researchers found that matcha consumption improved anxiety-like behavior in mice by activating dopamine function via dopamine D1 receptor signaling. The resultant dopamine boost could improve the symptoms of depression as well. No more guesswork: Doctor busts common myths about women's health 'Matcha tea reduced the immobility time only in stress-susceptible mice that experienced greater stress from social isolation, and exhibited higher depression-like behavior, in comparison to the stress-tolerant mice,' Dr. Kurauchi said. 'These results suggest that Matcha tea powder exerts an antidepressant-like effect by activating the dopaminergic system of the brain, and this is influenced by the mental state of the individual,' he added. 'Also, incorporating Matcha into health promotion programs has the potential to improve its widespread utility,' he said. Matcha not only delights your taste buds, but also secretly improves your mood and mental health.
NHK
26-06-2025
- Science
- NHK
Kagoshima shaking: the science behind the quake swarm
Nearly 500 tremors have rattled a remote island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan since Saturday. Japan's Meteorological Agency says more strong shaking could follow ― and is telling residents to stay prepared. Here's what we know about what's causing the shaking and whether there might be worse to come. Japan's Meteorological Agency says seismic activity has ramped up around Kodakarajima Island in the Tokara Islands chain since Saturday morning. Noticeable tremors have continued in Toshima Village, which includes Kodakarajima and nearby islands. By 11 a.m. Thursday, officials had recorded 475 earthquakes registering 1 or higher on Japan's 7-level seismic scale. The agency notes that while the area has seen seismic activity in the past, this number of quakes in four days is the highest on record. Daily counts suggest the number of tremors peaked on Monday at 183, but there were still dozens of quakes on Thursday. Seafloor collisions fuel quake clusters The Tokara Islands sit along the Ryukyu Trench, where the Philippine Sea plate is being pushed beneath the Eurasian plate. Beneath the sea, the area is marked by seamounts ― underwater mountains ― and larger ridges known as sea platforms. As the Philippine plate subducts ― at a rate of about 6 centimeters per year ― these formations press into the land plate, building up strain. Associate Professor Yokose Hisayoshi of Kumamoto University Graduate School says this unique seafloor topography makes the region prone to earthquakes. Essentially, the ridges or mounts on the subducted plate lock the upper plate in place, preventing movement. "Earthquakes occurr when the strain that's built up becomes too much for the landward plate, causing it to rupture and shift sideways," says Yokose. "In the case of the Tokara Islands, the bumpy seafloor is constantly colliding with the land plate, causing frequent quake clusters." Stronger tremor possible Associate Professor Yokose Hisayoshi of Kumamoto University Graduate School is an expert in oceanography. Associate Professor Yokose has been analyzing seismic patterns in the area since quality data became available in the 2000s. He has identified two key phases of activity. The first lasts about five days, with a rapid increase in quake frequency. That's often followed by a second phase lasting about two weeks, when the number of tremors drops but the risk of a larger, more powerful earthquake rises. In fact, four years ago, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck on day six of such a sequence, reaching an intensity of 5+ on Japan's seismic scale. Yokose says the current situation appears to be the first phase. And though it may not follow the same pattern as before, there is a chance of an earthquake up to magnitude 6. He says residents should be on high alert for the next week or so. No connection to Nankai Trough Yokose stressed that this swarm of small quakes is not a precursor to a major event, like a Nankai Trough mega-quake. He says the tectonic mechanisms of the Kagoshima islands' tremors are entirely different from those that would trigger a massive quake off Japan's Pacific coast.
Yomiuri Shimbun
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Over 300 Earthquakes Rumble in Sea Off Kagoshima Pref. Islands, Putting Residents on Alert
The sea off the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture was hit with 336 earthquakes measuring at least a 1 on the Japanese seismic scale from Saturday to 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to a regional branch of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Six of the earthquakes measured a 4 on the Japanese seismic scale, which goes as high as 7. Experts have suggested that even larger quakes could occur, and the agency's Fukuoka regional headquarters is calling for people in the area to stay on the alert against earthquakes with strong shaking. Tremors in the sea near the islands grew more frequent after 8 p.m. on Saturday, according to the regional headquarters. The largest quake over the period struck on Sunday afternoon and registered a magnitude of 5.1. There have been as many as 15 quakes per hour. On Tuesday, at 2:23 a.m. and again at 4:04 p.m., shaking measuring a 4 on the Japanese seismic scale was felt on Akusekijima Island in the prefecture's village of Toshima. The sea near the Tokara Islands has been the source of many prior earthquakes. In December 2021, tremors measuring 1 or higher on the Japanese seismic scale struck 308 times. On Dec. 9, 2021, a quake measuring a 5 on the seismic scale hit Akusekijima Island, forcing 30 residents to evacuate to Kagoshima City and to Hisayoshi Yokose, an associate professor at Kumamoto University specializing in marine volcanology, near the islands the Philippine Sea Plate is subducted beneath another tectonic plate connected to the Asian continent. This geology tends to cause a buildup of tension that results in earthquakes. Yokose thinks the recent quakes have occurred inside the continental plate. 'Past trends show that even bigger earthquakes occur after seismic activity subsides,' he said. The area where the quakes have occurred is part of a volcanic cluster that stretches from the Kirishima mountain range, in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, to Io-Torishima Island in Okinawa Prefecture. Junichi Nakajima, a Tokyo Institute of Technology professor in seismology, suggested that magma may have cooled when rising through the ground and water in that magma may have seeped out, making the fault prone to slippage. On Sunday, Mt. Shinmoedake, part of the Kirishima mountains, erupted for the first time in seven years. However, the volcano, which rises to a height of 1,421 meters, lies at a distance from the Tokara Islands. 'I don't think it had any effect' on the earthquakes, Nakajima said. As of Sunday, 667 residents were living on seven remote islands in Toshima. 'You never know when a big quake will come. It reminds me of the one that we had four years ago that registered a 5 on the seismic scale,' said a 34-year-old man running a minshuku bed and breakfast on Akusekijima Island. Since Monday, students have been commuting to a school on the island were wearing helmets. Some of the children have reportedly said they cannot sleep at night. 'We'll try to relieve their concerns as much as we can,' said the school's principal.
Asahi Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Science
- Asahi Shimbun
New genus, species named for pterosaur fossil in Kyushu
A team of researchers re-examining a fossil found about 30 years ago in Kumamoto Prefecture concluded it is a new genus and species of pterosaur, a prehistoric flying reptile. It is the first such naming of a fossil discovered in Japan, the researchers from the Mifune Dinosaur Museum, Kumamoto University and Hokkaido University announced on May 13. The new species, named Nipponopterus mifunensis, is on display at the museum. According to the announcement, the fossil dug up in 1996 in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture, came from a layer of the Late Cretaceous (100.5 million to 66 million years ago) in a riverbed upstream from a dam. The fossil was of the cervical vertebrae. But the lack of fossil information about pterosaurs at that time made it difficult to more clearly identify the fragment. The research team used a CT scan of the fossil and compared the data with those of other pterosaurs. That led to the conclusion the fossil was a new species of azhdarchid pterosaur, which had a long neck. The fossil was dated from about 90 million years ago and is from a close relative of Quetzalcoatlus, a large pterosaur that lived in North America in the latter half of the Late Cretaceous. The research team published its findings in the March issue of Cretaceous Research. Azhdarchids appeared in the Late Cretaceous in a wide area encompassing Asia, Africa and the Americas. But there are few fossils because the skeletons are so fragile. (This article was written by Eiji Zakoda and Ryo Sasaki.)
