Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a quantum mechanical model for concentrated organic radical solutions considering stochastic collisions between molecules. The first-order contribution to intermolecular interactions is averaged to zero by collisional fluctuations, but the second-order term survives and enhances the magnetic susceptibility. These results explain experimental observations of an anomalous increase in the magnetic susceptibility at the solid-to-fluid transition that cannot be predicted by conventional theories.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team studied the wall structure of MCM-48 and the Ar adsorption process in the mesopores of MCM-48 using MEM analysis of in situ powder XRD intensities recorded during gas adsorption to show that the adsorption process can be monitored through variations in the electron density distribution. 

Discovering new catalysts to power hydrogen production often involves a time-consuming trial-and-error process. Not only that, but materials scientists often have to comb through troves of scientific data and experimental data. Yet these days may be over thanks to a new AI-powered platform that enables researchers to identify new catalysts for methane pyrolysis— a promising technology for producing hydrogen with lower carbon emissions.

Cryo-electron transmission microscopy helps scientists observe biological specimens in a state that closely resembles their natural environment, especially those dispersed in water. But applying the technique outside of aqueous systems has proved relatively difficult. However, researchers at Tohoku University have created a new technique that enabled cryo-TEM to be applied to frozen methanol, opening a new avenue for studying materials in a wider variety of natural states.

Mechanoluminescent materials, which convert mechanical energy into light, are great for self-powered sensors. However, they have traditionally been made using rare earth materials or complex material compositions, making them relatively expensive to manufacture. Now, a research team has developed a zinc oxide material that not only possesses highly sensitive mechanoluminescence but is made from cheap, earth-abundant materials.

NIMS succeeded in developing a technique to form a GaN epitaxial film with extremely low resistance and robust thermal stability, which is essential for realizing vertical gallium nitride (GaN) devices on low-cost silicon (Si) wafers. This novel technique, an “amorphous-like interlayer (AL-IL)” approach, uses an ultrathin film composed of Si and nitrogen (N) to accommodate lattice mismatch between Si and GaN, and enables vertical current flow between the substrate and the GaN film. This achievement constitutes a fundamental technology for fabricating vertical GaN devices on Si wafers, and is expected to contribute to reducing the cost of high-efficiency power devices and micro-LED devices in the future. This research result was published in Advanced Physics Research on May 29, 2026.

Understanding how galaxies formed requires studying the neutral gas that fueled early star formation, but detecting this component is difficult. In a recent study, an international research team leveraged measurements from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to detect a direct tracer of neutral gas in star-forming galaxies seen as they were 700 to 800 million years after the Big Bang, enabling detailed analysis of their star-forming conditions.

Researchers at Kanazawa University identified dopamine-driven neural mechanisms of motivation in a mouse model of behavioral addiction, offering insights into treatment.

A research group led by Dr. Keiko Ueno, Assistant Professor at the Innovative Clinical Research Center, Kanazawa University, has revealed the status of collaboration between fire-based emergency medical service (EMS) agencies ^*1) and community-based long-term care ^*2), welfare ^*3), and health organizations ^*4) in Japan. The study identified six key practical measures essential for building a collaborative model that sustains long-term coordination between medical care and social support needs.

An international research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University researchers evaluated the impacts of urban heat island mitigation strategies on both indoor and outdoor thermal environments in an educational facility located in Shahrud, Iran, a city characterized by extremely hot summers.