Researchers found suicide risk varies by day of the week and holiday, with certain days correlating to higher risk globally. They used data from 1971 to 2019 and from 740 locations in 26 countries, collected from the Multi-City Multi-Country Collaborative Research Network database to assess short term variations in suicide risk related to the day of the week and national holidays. They found Mondays and New Year’s Day universally correlated with elevated risk, whereas weekends and other public holidays, or the days after them, varied by region. These findings could help both individuals and mental health professionals.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that colloidal molecules with specific symmetrical shapes, such as polyatomic molecules, are spontaneously formed through self-assembly via the assembling of a blend solution of two types of conjugated polymers into clusters of micrometer-scale polymer droplets.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have succeeded in observing the effects of spin current transfer and spin current generation from the non-magnetic side of a device, using a multilayer device consisting of a ferromagnetic layer and an organic semiconductor material.

Researchers at Osaka University have developed a new imagining system to monitor pluripotent stem cells during incubation. The new device — INSPCTOR — uses lens-free imaging technology integrated with thin-film transistors. The device is the same size as a standard culture plate, allowing multiple units to be monitored within a compact incubator. By improving quality control during the growth process, this innovation could help accelerate advancements in customized regenerative medicine.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has clarified how in plants the boric acid channels, the conduits for the necessary element boron, are transported to the plasma membrane.

Researchers from Osaka University found that Japanese consumers prioritize transparency over performance, while still valuing performance over environmental sustainability when choosing AI assistants. Although transparency was the most important factor, cost remained a critical consideration. This study also highlighted individual differences, showing that future-oriented consumers prefer energy-efficient AI assistants, whereas those with an internal locus of control prioritize transparency. The findings suggest developers should consider these psychological traits to better meet diverse consumer preferences.

Two of these new species are present in Japan: Aphanerostethus magnus (Oo-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi) and Aphanerostethus japonicus (Nippon-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi). One of these, Aphanerostethus japonicus, is also found in Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa. This is the first time x-ray microtomography has been used to remove obscuring scales to examine underlying differences in morphology for taxonomic purposes. The findings from this study have been published in the journal Zookeys.

Researchers from Osaka University overcame the tradeoff between plastic toughness and degradability by developing plastics with movable crosslinks. The crosslinks both increased toughness by over eight times and increased enzymatic degradability by over twenty times compared with those of a reference plastic without movable crosslinks. These advanced biodegradable plastics bring us one step closer to achieving a resource-circulating society.

A groundbreaking study led by Prof. Dr. Hitoshi Yamamoto (Rissho University) and his collaborators from, Soka University, Koriyama Women’s College, and the RINRI Institute has made significant strides in the field of indirect reciprocity: a key mechanism for sustaining cooperation in human societies. Their research unveils new insights into the social norms that protect cooperative behaviour from defector invasion and reputation costs, thereby deepening our understanding of how large-scale societies maintain stability. The results of the study were published in Scientific Reports.

This study explored the agreement or discrepancy between subjective difficulties in social cognition and actual cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia. It identified three clinical subtypes: the “low-impact group” (low levels of objective impairment and subjective difficulties), the “unaware group” (high levels of objective impairment but low levels of subjective difficulties), and the “perceptive group” (moderate levels of objective impairment and high levels of subjective difficulties). This classification could serve as a guidepost for formulating individualized, targeted interventions.