Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Less Care, More Respect: Low Concern About Social Evaluation Signals Competence

This project examines how concern about social evaluation shapes interpersonal impressions. Across two preregistered studies, we tested whether appearing less concerned about social evaluation increases perceived competence and respect, and whether this effect generalizes to indi...

Dent corn yield and grain protein responses to integrated composted sewage sludge and liquid centrate fertilization compared with chemical fertilizer

Population growth and urbanization have increased wastewater generation, producing large volumes of sewage sludge requiring sustainable management. Anaerobic digestion and composting produce liquid centrate (LC) and composted sewage sludge (CSS), which can reduce dependence on sy...

Motor Imagery of Yips-Affected Pitching Enhances Corticospinal Excitability in Baseball Players with Yips

Purpose: Yips is a psycho-neuromuscular impediment disrupting the execution of sports skills. It remains unclear how the modulation of descending motor pathway activity differs between conditions with and without yips symptoms. This is attributable to (1) the difficulty in elicit...

Systemic administration of the mGluR2/3 antagonist LY341495 disrupts reward-related behaviors across ingestive and social domains in mice

Metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors (mGluR2/3) have been implicated in depression, anxiety, learning, and memory, yet their role in reward-related behavior remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of the selective mGluR2/3 antagonist LY341495 on reward-related be...

Flexible reconfiguration of variability structures between multiple solution manifolds in skilled soccer athletes' throw-ins

Skilled performers can produce highly consistent outcomes despite substantial variability within the motor control system. Previous studies have demonstrated that such consistency is achieved by structuring variability in execution variables so that it lies within the solution ma...

Dehnel's phenomenon is not a simple reduction of size: seasonal change in skull shape of the long-clawed shrew (Soricidae, Mammalia)

Abstract Dehnel's phenomenon—a reversible seasonal reduction and regrowth of body size, skull, brain and visceral organs—is an extreme adaptive strategy, enabling small mammals to survive winter energetic constraints. First described in the common shrew Sorex araneus, similar sea...

Effects of Three Assertion Training Sessions on Schoolchildren’s Assertiveness and Mental Health

As a crucial period for self and identity development, early adolescence may give rise to emotional issues due to inadequate methods of self-expression. Therefore, the development of self-expression during early adolescence may play a significant role in interpersonal relationshi...

Muscle mechanical properties during voluntary contraction with motor-threshold neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Abstract Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is often superimposed on voluntary contraction, but its effects on muscle mechanical properties remain unclear. We used shear wave elastography to assess the tibialis anterior at rest and during isometric ankle dorsiflexion wit...

Facilitating the supplementary motor area activity reduces variability of ball arrival position in accurate ball throwing performance

Maintaining high accuracy during rapid, dynamic movements is a significant challenge for the central nervous system. The supplementary motor area (SMA) is a key cortical region for orchestrating motor commands and regulating movement variability, yet its causal contribution to ma...

The association of corporate measures and health management initiatives with employee engagement in Japanese companies

Using data from 2,502 companies in Japan’s Health and Productivity Management Survey, this study examined determinants of employee engagement and corporate success. Regression analysis showed that hourly paid leave (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.07–1.56) and communic...