Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that around 15 days of dry weather can trigger the flowering of durian. Observations of 110 durian plants revealed that flowering occurred around 50 days after an approximately 15-day dry spell, independent of whether the plant was grafted or grown from a seed. The team’s work might not only impact the production of a valuable agricultural asset but deepen our understanding of tropical ecosystems.

Heterogeneity in host populations significantly influences pathogen evolution, yet most theories assume uniformity. This study uses a meta-population model to examine how local environmental heterogeneity—factors like migration, birth, carrying capacity, and immunity loss—affects pathogen virulence. The findings reveal that greater heterogeneity consistently results in higher virulence compared to homogeneous environments. These results suggest that previous models underestimated evolving virulence, raising concerns that urbanization and increasing environmental diversity may accelerate the emergence of more lethal pathogens.Heterogeneity in host populations significantly influences pathogen evolution, yet most theories assume uniformity. This study uses a meta-population model to examine how local environmental heterogeneity—factors like migration, birth, carrying capacity, and immunity loss—affects pathogen virulence. The findings reveal that greater heterogeneity consistently results in higher virulence compared to homogeneous environments. These results suggest that previous models underestimated evolving virulence, raising concerns that urbanization and increasing environmental diversity may accelerate the emergence of more lethal pathogens.

Hand choice, an unconscious decision, is influenced by target-related information, but if these are non-informative, the choice will be approximately 50–50. In this equilibrium situation, non-target information may also aid in decision-making, but no research has demonstrated this. Now, researchers have investigated the effect of somatosensory stimulation on motor decisions in healthy participants. The results revealed that wrist stimulation significantly increased the likelihood of choosing the stimulated hand, highlighting its application in stroke rehabilitation.

A groundbreaking AI-driven method has been developed to identify drug trafficking-related dark jargons on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Unlike traditional techniques that struggle with multi-word phrases, this new approach detects complex codewords, often used to mask illegal activities, with unprecedented precision. By analyzing relationships between words, the system identifies covert phrases that even police officers were previously unaware of. During tests, over 93% of the newly detected terms were found to be unknown to the majority of police officers. This breakthrough could significantly strengthen efforts to combat online crime and protect vulnerable users from exposure to illegal activities.

The ancient vomeronasal receptor type-1 (ancV1R) is highly conserved across species and plays a key role in pheromone detection. Investigation of its role in the sexual and social behavior of mice by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, provides novel insights for future research on pheromone sensing and animal behaviors. The study found that the absence of ancV1R in female mice was linked to a poor mating response and increased stress levels.

Osteoporosis, characterized by an imbalance in bone remodeling, is a growing health concern worldwide. Previous research has highlighted the role of osteogenic CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (iSN40) in promoting osteoblast differentiation and supporting bone formation. A new study reveals that iSN40 also inhibits osteoclastogenesis, reducing bone resorption. By modulating both bone formation and resorption, iSN40 offers a potential new approach for the treatment of osteoporosis.