A new study shows how internal coalitions shape corporate decisions after profitability goals are met. Analyzing Chinese firms, researchers found that shareholder-value coalitions tend to increase dividend payments, while state-endorsed coalitions prioritize corporate philanthropy. These competing goals highlight how internal power dynamics influence how firms allocate surplus resources. The findings offer important insights for investors, executives, and policymakers seeking to understand how companies manage competing objectives such as shareholder satisfaction and social priorities.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered a protein that is involved in plant leaf aging.

Researchers trace the evolutionary history of the PD-1 immune checkpoint system across jawed vertebrates, uncovering conserved features with potential relevance for cancer immunotherapy.

Magnetization components perpendicular to an applied electric field can be reversed efficiently in multiferroic materials, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. This challenges their previous finding that the electric field and magnetization reversal must align. Using BiFe_0.9Co_0.1O₃ thin films with a specific crystallographic orientation, they demonstrated that a parallel electric field can induce perpendicular magnetization reversal, enabling more flexible designs of energy-efficient magnetic memory devices.

The Politics of Conformity in Japan explores how dōchō atsuryoku—the pressure to conform—shapes Japanese society. Central to the book is seken, the “social gaze,” or unspoken social expectations, and kūki, the “atmosphere” that influences behavior. Through case studies like wartime Japan, the COVID-19 pandemic, and responses to sexual violence, the book reveals how conformity continues to impact individuals, institutions, governance, and justice in Japan. Insightful and thought-provoking, it shows how Japan’s social fabric is deeply woven with the power of conformity.　

Earthquakes create ripple effects in Earth's upper atmosphere that can disrupt satellite communications and navigation systems we rely on. Nagoya University scientists and their collaborators have used Japan's extensive network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to create the first 3D images of atmospheric disturbances caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Their results show sound wave disturbance patterns in unique 3D detail and provide new insights into how earthquakes generate these waves. The results were published in the journal Earth, Planets and Space.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have identified a previously unknown species of unicellular organism in seawater collected near Hachijojima Island. The newly discovered species, named Viscidocauda repens, belongs to the protist group Endomyxa and is notable for possessing a persistent flagellum—marking the first recorded instance of such a flagellate within this group.

Kyoto, Japan -- Whether you are lucky enough to have a cat companion or must merely live this experience vicariously through cat videos, Felis catus is a familiar and comforting presence in our daily lives. Unlike most other feline species, cats exhibit sociality, can live in groups, and communicate both with other cats and humans, which is why they have been humans' trusted accomplices for millennia.

Despite this intimacy, there is still much that we don't know about our feline friends. Numerous behavioral studies have been conducted on other mammal species, but relatively few on cats.

In part to fill this gap, a team of researchers at Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University are investigating the genetic background of cats' behavioral traits. Specifically, they aim to understand the association between traits like purring and variation in the androgen receptor gene. Though the exact function of purring remains unclear, previous studies have indicated that it is beneficial for feline communication and survival.

Current regulations for nanomedicines overlook the effects of the different forms of the same element, such as ions, nanoparticles, and aggregates. In a recent study, Japanese researchers developed a new analytical method combining an asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation system and mass spectrometry to separately quantify these forms. This technique allows for better quality control and safety evaluation of metal-based nanomedicines, promoting their development and clinical use, with applications also extending to food, cosmetics, and the environment.