Loss of skeletal muscle mass is a known risk factor for falls. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba conducted a 5-yr follow-up study on 471 patients with type 2 diabetes and found that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a class of diabetes medications with significant weight-reducing effects, increase the risk of falls. Moreover, they also observed that the risk further rises when SGLT2 inhibitors are used in combination with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.

The COVID-19 pandemic created major communication barriers for individuals with hearing impairments, primarily due to face masks blocking lip movements. Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined these issues and related factors. They found that having a daily supporter, going out frequently, and the severity of hearing impairment all affected the level of difficulty, with daily support reducing such issues.

Science Tokyo will introduce a new vision-driven integrated research framework across the Institute in April 2025 to create enhanced societal impact across various key areas. Driving the model forward are newly established Visionary Initiatives (VIs) — international, multi-sectoral hubs that strive to solve critical societal issues based on “visions for the future.” These VIs will significantly transform Science Tokyo’s current research framework, which is vertically divided by disciplinary fields such as the medical and dental sciences, science and engineering, informatics, and the liberal arts, into a cross-disciplinary approach.

An Osaka Metropolitan University team has demonstrated unprecedented virtual radical coupling of mixed-metal trinuclear complexes via interunit metal–metal bond formation to afford a hexanuclear cluster induced by aerobic oxidation. The electrochemical and chemical redox behavior of the hexanuclear cluster was also investigated, showing that the cluster dissociates into two trinuclear complexes upon reduction and is regenerated by oxidation of the trinuclear complex.

A new study led by Professor Sayaka Nakamura from Sophia University in Japan and Professor Shiko Maruyama from Jinan University in China published in the journal Health Economics reveals the significant positive impact of the Japanese school lunch program on the weight of early teenagers. The research, titled "Wholesome Lunch to the Whole Classroom: Short- and Longer-Term Effects on Early Teenagers’ Weight," found that the program effectively reduces Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Overweight (POW), and obesity rates, particularly among students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.