Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Rare-earth-free zinc oxide achieves a first in stress-to-light conversion

Tohoku University

image:
Emission spectrum of the developed ZnO material and transmission imaging through biological tissue.
view more
Credit: T. Uchiyama et al.

Mechanoluminescent materials convert mechanical energy such as stress, strain, and vibration directly into light, making them attractive as self-powered sensors that require no batteries or wiring. From biomedical sensors to self-powered infrastructure monitoring sensors, mechanoluminescent materials have a wide range of potential applications. However, high-performance mechanoluminescent materials have traditionally relied on expensive, rare-earth materials or complex material compositions.

Now, a research team led by Tohoku University, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba and Saga University, has developed a zinc oxide (ZnO) material that exhibits strong and highly sensitive mechanoluminescence without using any rare-earth elements.

The newly developed material combines high sensitivity with low cost by using zinc oxide, an earth-abundant material already found in products such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and ointments.

Details of the team's discovery was published in the journal Advanced Science on May 9, 2026.

The researchers achieved this performance by adding a small amount of sodium to zinc oxide and carefully controlling the material's structural defects. According to the team, this is the first demonstration of strong and highly sensitive mechanoluminescence in zinc oxide without the use of any rare-earth elements.

To understand why the material performs so well, the team used advanced electron microscopy and computational modeling. Microscopy revealed that the particles possess a distinctive crater-like surface structure that may efficiently convert external force into internal strain. Meanwhile, first-principles calculations performed using the MASAMUNE-II supercomputer - named after the founder of Sendai, Masamune Date - showed that trace amounts of sodium create stable structural defects capable of temporarily storing electrical charge.

The calculations also revealed that zinc vacancies are responsible for the material's near-infrared emission. Together, these structural defects enable the material to emit bright light under pressure of only a few kilopascals - roughly the pressure produced by a light fingertip touch.

This high sensitivity opens the door to a variety of practical applications. Because the emitted light falls within the near-infrared region, which can penetrate biological tissue relatively well, the material could be used in future medical sensors that operate without internal power sources. Such devices could potentially be activated from outside the body using weak vibrations such as ultrasound.

The material could also support infrastructure monitoring. When applied to bridges, buildings, or wind turbine blades, it may allow small strains and early signs of deterioration to be visualized as light. This could enable remote monitoring systems that operate without wiring or dedicated power supplies.

Concept of multiscale applications supporting a sustainable future society.

Credit

T. Uchiyama et al.

Journal

Advanced Science

DOI

10.1002/advs.75587

Article Title

Stress-to-Light Conversion in an Earth-Abundant Oxide Semiconductor

Visual storytelling and sharing circles reveal community-led path to indigenous heart health

CJC Open’s first arts-based graphic report highlights the need to blend Indigenous and Western approaches for holistic strategies that overcome systemic barriers to well-being

Elsevier

Four themes that shape Indigenous heart health — image:
An arts-based graphic report published in *CJC Open* highlights four themes that shape Indigenous heart health, revealing the need for interventions that extend beyond clinical management to include culturally grounded nutrition programming, relationship-centered care pathways, and models that combine Indigenous and Western knowledge systems
view more
Credit: CJC Open / Zhao et al.

A novel study among Indigenous communities in Canada utilizing sharing circles as the primary method of qualitative data collection shows that heart health is shaped by emotional, spiritual, social, and systemic factors, with trauma strongly influencing how care is accessed and trusted. Results of the study appear in CJC Open, published by Elsevier, as the journal’s first arts-based report. This novel format provides an authentic visual narrative that reflects the depth of community experiences and perspectives.

The research highlights the need for interventions that extend beyond clinical management to include culturally grounded nutrition programming, relationship-centered care pathways, and models that combine Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.

First Nations people in Canada are approximately 2.5 times more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than non-Indigenous people. In the James and Hudson Bay region, the remoteness of each community creates significant challenges for people living with heart conditions. Limited healthcare services are offered locally, and many patients have to travel three to nine hours south to receive care.

Despite these barriers, communities continue to draw strength from their cultural ties, relationships, and collective resilience toward a promising future. A collaborative partnership was formed between the University Health Network (UHN) and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) to gain important insights about community heart health and opportunities to improve access to culturally safe care.

This study was grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR), which emphasizes equity, reciprocity, and shared decision-making across all stages of research. To integrate the relational principles of CBPR into practice, sharing circles—a communication practice rooted in the Indigenous tradition of storytelling—were used as the primary method of qualitative data collection.

Four themes emerged from the sharing circles conducted in Moosonee, Ontario:

Heart health is more than metrics
Honoring our traumas
Destigmatizing care through relationship building
Innovative solutions start with community

“Academic research often comes with pre-determined, deficit-based assumptions regarding Indigenous communities and their health outcomes, without considering the implications of colonial influence that have created the very conditions affecting Indigenous well-being,” says principal investigator and team lead Sahr Wali, PhD, TRANSFORM Heart Failure Strategic Initiative, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University Health Network, University of Toronto.

“This study is a celebration of community stories, inspired by the traditional teachings that challenge Western definitions of heart health. Instead of focusing on physical symptoms only, we wanted to emphasize holistic well-being.”

One of the most surprising and meaningful findings was the central role of humor as a culturally grounded and intentional mode of communication. “Community partners emphasized that humor is deeply embedded in everyday life and serves as an important way of engaging with topics that are emotionally heavy, historically painful, or otherwise difficult to discuss. Rather than diminishing the seriousness of experiences with heart disease, humor functioned as a source of strength, resilience, and connection,“ explains WAHA co-author Justice Seidel, medical student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University and Member of Moose Cree First Nation.

The insights gained from the study were transformed into an arts-based graphic report that draws on principles of “two-eyed seeing”—a metaphor for negotiating between two cultures—to help bridge Indigenous and Western knowledge and foster engagement across communities and care providers.

It is the first time research has been published in this form in CJC Open. “Following the path less traveled, this arts-based graphic report upholds the authenticity of Indigenous storytelling, embraces holistic worldviews on health and healing, and strengthens Indigenous community voices,” says author of the accompanying editorial Laura Banks, PhD, MA, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, and University Health Network, Toronto.

She continues, “Storytelling remains an invaluable form of knowledge for Indigenous people, used to share traditions, including cultural beliefs, histories, values, relationships, and practices. This approach can arguably improve the possibility of both healing and well-being for the complex grief and history with which too many Indigenous people continue to live in today’s world.”

Graphic medicine was intentionally chosen for its ability to convey complex health concepts and lived experiences in accessible, emotionally resonant ways.

Q. Jane Zhao, first author, lead graphic artist, and PhD candidate, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, notes, “Comics are one way we can make research equitable for everyone. Most research never makes it outside the ivory tower of conference presentations and academic journals. By translating research into an accessible comic report, we made it so everyday people, the community members who participated in sharing circles, could understand what they contributed to—that their stories really mattered.”

While developed in Indigenous community contexts, this study’s methodology offers valuable transferability to other ethnic minority populations, which often face disproportionate cardiovascular risk, systemic barriers to care, and the need to navigate complex social and cultural determinants of health.

Dr. Wali concludes, “Storytelling enables community members to speak and share their stories in their own voices, reclaiming space and power in systems that have long silenced or distorted their truths.”

Innovative solutions start with community

Insights from a study investigating Indigenous heart health conveyed in an arts-based graphic report published in CJC Open draw on the principles of “two-eyed seeing”—a metaphor for negotiating between two cultures—to help bridge Indigenous and Western knowledge and foster engagement across communities and care providers.

Credit

CJC Open / Zhao et al.

Journal

CJC Open

DOI

10.1016/j.cjco.2025.12.013

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Heart Health Begins with Community: An Arts-Based Report on the Experiences of Heart Health in the Moosonee Community

Article Publication Date

11-Jun-2026

WINDERSHINS

Counterclockwise bias

Surprising study reveals people have an inherent preference for counterclockwise motion regardless of cultural factors or group size

University of Tokyo

Teens in Spain spiraling — image:
Taken from above, this annotated image shows a schoolground in Spain and the motions of teenage participants as indicated by the dots and lines. ©2026 Echeverría-Huarte et al. CC-BY-ND
view more
Credit: ©2026 Echeverría-Huarte et al. CC-BY-ND

Researchers in Spain and Japan tested a broad range of pedestrians in varying group sizes to see whether there were any patterns to their turning behaviors, and what factors influence them if there are. It turns out that the vast majority of people have a preference for counterclockwise turning. Most factors such as culture or gender made little difference. Only age showed a noticeable but small change in that younger people followed this pattern more strongly. This area of research could impact our understanding of the brain, and fields like design, engineering and architecture. The original research, including the initial experiments and analysis, was conducted by the Department of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Navarra in Spain, with additional comparative experiments later carried out in Japan in collaboration with the University of Tokyo team.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials in Spain and elsewhere created rules and guidelines around social distancing, as a means to impede the spread of the virus. A person-to-person gap of around 2 meters was broadly found to be effective, and the challenge became how to encourage that gap be maintained in public spaces. Following one particular experiment on a group of test pedestrians, the researchers couldn’t help but notice something in the video data they’d recorded, which, while not what they were looking for, surprised them and piqued their curiosity to know what it was they were seeing.

“When analyzing the experiments, my colleagues realized by chance, that in 32 out of 33 experimental trials, as people moved and turned, they noticeably preferred to turn counterclockwise,” said Project Associate Professor Claudio Feliciani from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “This was completely unexpected as, at least instinctively, when people walk around randomly, you imagine people turn as their needs suit them with little sign of an overall preference. But there was a definite, measurable tendency for people to turn counterclockwise over clockwise, all things being equal. The team had to understand the reason for this, and all good research practice dictates you test observations against multiple possible causes to narrow down what’s really going on. And it’s this that led them to contact me in Japan, as initially, it was thought that cultural factors might impact turning preference. So, amongst other things, we tested against that.”

Feliciani and his team set up experiments to observe pedestrian test subjects in different open and constrained environments. Not only did they test against cultural background by having parallel tests in Spain and Japan, they also investigated group size, gender, handedness and age.

“Of all these things, the only thing that stood out was that kids tend to have a stronger bias for the counterclockwise direction, so probably age plays a role in making the effect weaker or stronger,” said Feliciani. “Our results may appear as a minor insignificant discovery, but in nature, most phenomena related to locomotion show that animals mostly walk without directional preference. The strong bias found in people hints to some asymmetry at the biomechanical level.”

It's unknown at present why there is such a stark counterclockwise bias in people. So, the team is already hot on the case to find what makes this so. They plan to conduct more detailed experiments with individuals rather than large groups, as this could help pinpoint something at the biomechanical level. But this also introduces new challenges that are not present when exploring group locomotion.

“It likely does not come from the eyes, because we tried to patch people’s left or the right eyes and the bias was still there. And some people asked us if it might be large-scale phenomena like the Coriolis force or Earth’s magnetic field, but this seems unlikely given what we have managed to point to so far,” said Feliciani. “There are some interesting parallels to certain sports. Some running and driving competitions are always, but inexplicably, taken on courses that run counterclockwise. But that’s an investigation for another time.”

###

Journal: Iñaki Echeverría-Huarte, Claudio Feliciani, Zhigang Shi, Katsuhiro Nishinari, Ángel Sánchez, Ángel Garcimartín, Iker Zuriguel, “Individual bias drives counterclockwise motion in pedestrian crowds”, Nature Communications, https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73713-w

Funding: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIU/AEI, FEDER, EU): Grants PID2020114839GB-I00 and PID2023-146422NB-I00; JSPS KAKENHI: Grants JP23K13521 and JP26K07940; JST-Mirai Program: Grant JPMJMI20D1; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI, ERDF “A way of making Europe”): Grant PID2022-141802NB-I00; Fundación BBVA: MapCDPerNets – Programa Fundamentos (2022).

Useful links:

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

https://www.aerospace.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/

Graduate School of Engineering

https://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/

About The University of Tokyo:

The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 5,000 international students. Find out more at www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @UTokyo_News_en.

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-026-73713-w

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Individual locomotor bias drives counterclockwise motion in pedestrian crowds

Article Publication Date

10-Jun-2026

Exploring the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics

Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology

Graphical Abstract — image:
Exploring the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics
view more
Credit: This infographic is free to use in connection with this story if credited to 'Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (UNICENTRO)'

This study investigated associations between mental health (anxiety, depression, stress), dermatology-related quality of life (DLQI), and probiotic intake in 305 Brazilian adults. Women had significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression, and stress compared to men. Nearly half of participants reported dermatological disorders, and over half were at risk for at least one mental health condition. Strong positive correlations were found among anxiety, depression, and stress, while DLQI showed weak but significant correlations with these outcomes. Probiotic intake was not significantly associated with mental health measures, possibly due to low habitual consumption. Multiple linear regression identified stress and depression as independent predictors of anxiety, explaining 66% of its variance. The study highlights the bidirectional nature of the skin–brain axis and the disproportionate psychological and dermatological burden on women. The authors conclude that while probiotics hold theoretical promise, current evidence from this population does not support direct associations. Further longitudinal studies incorporating culturally relevant dietary patterns are needed to clarify these complex interactions.

Journal

Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology

DOI

10.1016/i.idsct.2026.100147

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Exploring the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics

Bionic cooling skin for infected wound healing

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center

As the global burden of infected wounds continues to rise—with over 300 million surgeries performed annually and postoperative infections affecting 5–20% of patients—conventional wound dressings face a critical limitation: no single product has successfully integrated protective function, wearing comfort, and efficient antibacterial activity. Now, researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led by Professor Xungai Wang, Professor Shuo Shi, Professor Huiqun Zhou, and Professor Yang Ming, together with collaborators from City University of Hong Kong, Jiangnan University, and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, have presented a breakthrough bionic wound dressing that bridges the gap between passive coverage and active healing.

Why This Dressing Matters

Traditional wound dressings typically force a trade-off between comfort and functionality. Gauze adheres to wounds and causes pain during changes; foam dressings are costly; hydrocolloid dressings are unsuitable for infected wounds. The novel bionic cooling skin overcomes this limitation by combining a hierarchical Janus nanofiber structure with visible light-responsive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), simultaneously achieving passive thermal management, on-demand antibacterial action, and skin-like mechanical compatibility.

Innovative Design and Mechanism

The material is fabricated through a synergistic integration of solvent welding technology with single-sided Fe-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Fe-ZIF8). Solvent welding creates robust physical bonding points between electrospun PVDF nanofibers, imparting tensile strength of ~21.6 MPa and failure strain of ~54%—mechanical properties closely matching natural human skin. The Janus architecture features a hydrophobic outer layer (water contact angle = 137°) that reflects sunlight and transmits mid-infrared radiation for passive cooling, while the hydrophilic inner layer (water contact angle = 72°) wicks moisture and anchors Fe20-ZIF8 nanoparticles for antibacterial function.

DFT simulations and UPS measurements reveal that Fe doping narrows the ZIF8 bandgap from 5.15 eV to 2.56 eV, enabling visible light absorption (>420 nm). Upon illumination, the Fe-N4 coordination sites generate photocatalytic reactive oxygen species (ROS) with twice the signal intensity of pristine ZIF8, triggering the O2/O2⁻ redox cascade for bacterial elimination. The high mid-infrared emissivity (80.7% in the 7–14 μm atmospheric window) arises from abundant IR-active C–F, C–C, and metal–O bonds, enabling radiative heat dissipation.

Outstanding Performance

The bionic cooling skin delivers a comprehensive suite of functionalities: air permeability exceeding 1.8 mL s-1, water vapor transmission rate surpassing 12.5 kg m-2 d-1, and particle filtration efficiency above 99.8%. Under simulated sunlight (1 sun), the Janus structure reduces surface temperature by ~4°C compared to non-Janus counterparts, while in vivo rat models demonstrate an average cooling of 1.7°C under realistic outdoor conditions (solar irradiance: 115–195 W m-2).

For infected wound healing, the dressing achieves 97.1% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus under white light—matching antibiotic-treated positive controls—while maintaining excellent biocompatibility with fibroblast NIH3T3 cells over 5 days. Notably, wounds treated with the bionic skin achieve near-complete closure within 11 days, with healing rates more than double those of untreated or pure PVDF groups.

Mechanistic Insights from Gene Analysis

Comprehensive RNA sequencing and qPCR analysis reveal that the bionic skin actively regulates wound repair at the genetic level. The dressing upregulates angiogenesis markers (Vcam1, Vegfd, Vegfb, Vegfc), cell migration genes (Cemip, Cemip2), and antimicrobial peptides (Cathelicidin, Hepcidin), while downregulating inflammatory factors (Ilrun, Madcam1, TNF-α). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses confirm significant activation of PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, and NF-kappa B signaling pathways, optimizing the wound microenvironment through antibacterial action, pro-angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, and antioxidation mechanisms. Histological assessment shows the most uniform collagen deposition (34.06 ± 8.29%) and optimal epidermal thickness (89.50 ± 13.60 μm)—nearly twice that of normal skin—indicating robust tissue regeneration without excessive scarring.

Applications and Future Outlook

This work establishes a new paradigm for intelligent wound management by demonstrating that structural biomimicry and functional material design can be seamlessly integrated. The bionic cooling skin not only advances our understanding of wound repair mechanisms through multi-omics analysis but also holds significant promise for next-generation biomedical materials combining thermal comfort, active infection control, and accelerated tissue regeneration.

Stay tuned for more groundbreaking research from this collaborative team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their partners across Hong Kong and mainland China!

Journal

Nano-Micro Letters

DOI

10.1007/s40820-026-02240-6

Method of Research

News article

Article Title

Bionic Cooling Skin for Infected Wound Healing

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Rare-earth-free zinc oxide achieves a first in stress-to-light conversion

Concept of multiscale applications supporting a sustainable future society.

Credit

Journal

DOI

Article Title

Visual storytelling and sharing circles reveal community-led path to indigenous heart health

Credit

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

Article Title

Article Publication Date

Counterclockwise bias

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

Article Title

Article Publication Date

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

Article Title

Bionic cooling skin for infected wound healing

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Article Title

About Me