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Aim: To explore the health beliefs of clinical and academic nurses from Japan, Australia and China regarding wearing paper masks to protect themselves and others, and to identify differences in participants' health beliefs regarding masks., Background: The correct use of face masks and consensus among health professionals across the globe is essential for containing pandemics, and nurses need to act according to policy to protect themselves, educate the public and preserve resources for frontline health workers. Paper masks are worn by health professionals and the general public to avoid the transmission of respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, but there appear to be differences in health beliefs of nurses within and between countries regarding these., Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used content analysis with a framework approach., Findings: There were major differences in nurse participants' beliefs between and within countries, including how nurses use paper masks and their understanding of their efficacy. In addition, there were cultural differences in the way that nurses use masks in their daily lives and nursing practice contexts., Conclusion: Nurses from different working environments, countries and areas of practice hold a variety of health beliefs about mask wearing at the personal and professional level., Implications for Nursing Policy and Health Policy: The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked much discussion about the critical importance of masks for the safety of health professionals, and there has been considerable discussion and disagreement about health policies regarding mask use by the general public. Improper use of masks may have a role in creating mask shortages or transmitting infections. An evidence-based global policy on mask use for respiratory illnesses for health professionals, including nurses, and the general public needs to be adopted and supported by a wide-reaching education campaign., (© 2020 International Council of Nurses.)

This paper illustrates my (Yamashita's) critical self-reflection as a female social work student from Japan living in Australia while conducting my first placement in an organisation that provides refugees and asylum seekers with holistic mental health support. The selfreflective process on a small miscommunication enabled me to learn lessons and identify strengths as a future social worker by unpacking the influence of my own cultural background. The main implication of this paper is that, particularly in the multicultural setting, applying selfreflection and self-critique even to small encounters enables social workers to grow as professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical symbols intended to indicate priority facilities and priority seating for those with limited mobility were tested in Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom using the ISO 9186-1:2007 comprehension test. Screen presentation was used in some circumstances, paper booklet presentation in others. Results from the three countries demonstrate a high level of agreement and also that the two methods of administration had no detectable influence on results. The need to have clear agreement on response scoring to obtain international scoring consistency was shown. The use of testing as an aid to symbol redesign is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the issue on plant science in Korea. It reveals that the theory on country's scientific focus was not transparent to the people involved in the research. It presents an analysis with the participation of top ten countries including Northern America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. It succumbs that the countries in Asia are smaller than those mentioned above with respect to research publication other than Japan. It explains that Korea and China have increased the number of papers being published annually which out put is equaled with Brazil.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is commonly defined as a transitional subclinical state between normal aging and dementia. A growing body of research indicates that health behaviors may play a protective role against cognitive decline and could potentially slow down the progression from MCI to dementia. The aim of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of literature focusing on health behaviors and MCI to summarize the factors and evidence regarding the influence of health behaviors on MCI. Methods: The study performed a bibliometric analysis by retrieving publications from the Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index subdatabases within the Web of Science Core Collection. Utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, a total of 2,843 eligible articles underwent co-citation, cokeywords, and clustering analyses. This methodology aimed to investigate the current status, trends, major research questions, and potential future directions within the research domain. Results: The bibliometric analysis indicates that research on healthy behaviors in individuals with MCI originated in 2002 and experienced rapid growth in 2014, reflecting the increasing global interest in this area. The United States emerged as the primary contributor, accounting for more than one-third of the total scientific output with 982 articles. Journals that published the most articles on MCI-related health behaviors included "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," "Neurobiology of Aging," "Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience," and other geriatricsrelated journals. High-impact papers identified by VOSviewer predominantly cover concepts related to MCI, such as diagnostic criteria, assessment, and multifactorial interventions. Co-occurrence keyword analysis highlights five research hotspots in health behavior associated with MCI: exercise, diet, risk factors and preventive measures for dementia, cognitive decline-related biomarkers, and clinical trials. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive review of literature on health behavior in individuals with MCI, emphasizing influential documents and journals. It outlines research trends and key focal points, offering valuable insights for researchers to comprehend significant contributions and steer future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expectile-based Value at Risk (EVaR) has gained popularity as it is more sensitive to the magnitude of extreme losses than the conventional quantile-based VaR (QVaR). This paper applies the expectile regression approach to evaluate the EVaR of stock market indices of Australia and Japan. We use an expectile regression model that considers lagged returns and common risk factors to calculate the EVaR for each stock market and to evaluate the interdependence of downside risk between the two markets. Our findings suggest that both Australian and Japanese stock markets are affected by their past development and the international stock markets. Additionally, ASX 200 index has significant impact on Nikkei 225 in terms of downside tail risk, while the impact of Nikkei 225 on ASX is not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar PV enables the conversion of solar energy into electricity and has become a clean energy technology for economic development. The advantages and disadvantages of solar photovoltaic vary among CPTPP member nations; nevertheless, since the CPTPP's implementation, fewer researchers have evaluated the member countries' solar photovoltaic goods' level of international competitiveness. In order to correct the flaw that the RCA index can only be studied from trade volume, this study adopts the IRCA index method and the revised CMS model, which integrates a number of variables to analyze the competitiveness of solar photovoltaic in each country. The study's findings indicate that: (1) the structural effect has a significant impact on export growth, particularly during the epidemic period, when Australia's contribution rate reached 106.58%; (2) the competitiveness effect has a lesser impact on export growth, and the epidemic led to a decline in competitiveness, with Japan's contribution rate reaching -262.85%; (3) the second-order effect has a declining trend in its contribution rate of export growth; (4) the export competitiveness of solar PV products differs between CPTPP countries, with power supply products having the most export competitiveness and solar cells having a steady comparative advantage in a weaker state. Apart than Japan, the remaining nations' comparative advantages for PV products are less than 1. Based on the above research findings, this paper puts forward the corresponding policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a group of four democracies, the US, India, Japan, and Australia, was first proposed in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his 'confluence of two seas' speech that subsequently embarked on the path to the foundation of the group. Quad perceives China's economic growth, which enables her to transform the world order as a threat and aims at containing the growing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The Malabar naval exercises in the Indian Ocean by the Quad members were one such exercise. This paper, aims to analyze the formation of Quad and will contemplate whether the group is causing confrontation or stability in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions. The paper will also assess that the Quad is designed to counter China's growing influence in the Asia-pacific and Indo-pacific regions. Containing China is likely to create a confrontation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality scholarly research outputs, such as peer reviewed journal articles published in reputable journals, are essential for early career researchers' (ECRs) vocational success while also offering benefits for their institutions. Research outputs destined for audiences beyond academia are also increasingly valued by funders, end users, and tertiary institutions. While there is an expectation that ECRs may create diverse research outputs for an array of audiences, the kinds of research output texts produced by ECRs for varied audiences warrants further investigation. In addition, the routes of dissemination that ECRs use to share their academic research outputs to secure impact beyond academia are not well understood. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews of 30 respondents in Australia and Japan, we explore the research‐sharing practices of ECRs, finding that ECRs may potentially create a wide range of research‐informed texts for end users beyond academia, using an array of methods for dissemination. The examples of the output text types and dissemination routes we provide in this paper can be used to inspire ECRs and also more senior academics to share their research more broadly, and perhaps more effectively, and can be used by publishers to improve research impact and support ECRs' research translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous faunistic and ecological studies have been conducted throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean to assess its biodiversity. Despite the abundance of research, studies on the species that inhabit the Indo-Pacific are still necessary due to its extent and high species richness. The major species richness of the genus Okenia Menke, 1830 (Nudibranchia, Goniodorididae) is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, including 38 of 60 valid species. Nevertheless, this number does not represent the real biodiversity, since at least 20 more species are already reported in field-guides as undescribed species belonging to this genus. The systematics of the genus Okenia are still unclear since it has been the subject of only a few and incomplete studies. In the present paper, we describe five new Okenia species from the coastlines of Japan, Mozambique and Australia: Okenia aurorapapillata sp. nov., Okenia elisae sp. nov., Okenia nakanoae sp. nov., Okenia siderata sp. nov. and Okenia tenuifibrata sp. nov. Moreover, anatomical details not previously described of Okenia atkinsonorum , Okenia barnardi , Okenia cf. echinata , Okenia hallucigenia , Okenia hiroi , Okenia japonica , Okenia pellucida , Okenia pilosa and Okenia rhinorma are provided. New partial sequences of standard markers (COI , 16S rRNA and H3) were obtained and a phylogenetic analysis that included all species with available data was performed. ZOOBANK urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:28AE2536-A264–4194–8AE3-C430620572E7 Currently, the largest number of known Okenia species are inhabiting the Indo-Pacific. However, ~20 species are still reported as undescribed in field-guides to this genus. In the present paper, we obtain new DNA sequences for Okenia species and study their evolutionary relationships. Moreover, we describe five new Okenia species from the coastlines of Japan, Mozambique and Australia: Okenia aurorapapillata sp. nov., Okenia elisae sp. nov., Okenia nakanae sp. nov., Okenia siderata sp. nov. and Okenia tenuifibrata sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores concessions made by Australian authorities concerning Japanese immigration during the era of the White Australia Policy in the early twentieth century. Australia's Immigration Restriction Act was introduced in December 1901. As the major piece of legislation in the White Australia Policy, the act made it virtually impossible for non-Europeans to migrate to Australia. However, Japanese people enjoyed a special position among non-Europeans under the White Australia Policy thanks to Japan's growing international status as a civilised power at the time, as well as its sustained diplomatic pressure on Australia. While the Commonwealth was determined to exclude Japanese permanent settlers, it sought ways to render the policy of exclusion less offensive to the Japanese. In the early 1900s, two minor modifications to the Immigration Restriction Act were implemented in order to relax the restrictions imposed on Japanese citizens. Moreover, in the application of Commonwealth immigration laws, Japanese people received far more lenient treatment than other non-Europeans and were afforded respect and extra courtesies by Australian officials. Nevertheless, these concessions Australia made to Japanese citizens were minor, and the Commonwealth government maintained its basic policy of excluding Japanese permanent settlers from Australia. This paper shows that, despite continued diplomatic efforts, Japan was fundamentally unable to change pre-war Australia's basic policy regarding the exclusion of Japanese permanent settlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major hurdle in pediatric formulation development is the lack of safety and toxicity data on some of the commonly used excipients. While the maximum oral safe dose for several kinds of excipients is known in the adult population, the doses in pediatric patients, including preterm neonates, are not established yet due to the lack of evidence-based data. This paper consists of four parts: (1) country-specific perspectives in different parts of the world (current state, challenges in excipients, and ongoing efforts) for ensuring the use of safe excipients, (2) comparing and contrasting the country-specific perspectives, (3) past and ongoing collaborative efforts, and (4) future perspectives on excipients for pediatric formulation. The regulatory process for pharmaceutical excipients has been developed. However, there are gaps between each region where a lack of information and an insufficient regulation process was found. Ongoing efforts include raising issues on excipient exposure, building a region-specific database, and improving excipient regulation; however, there is a lack of evidence-based information on safety for the pediatric population. More progress on clear safety limits, quantitative information on excipients of concern in the pediatric population, and international harmonization of excipients' regulatory processes for the pediatric population are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the post-'Lehman Brothers shock' period of the Japanese foreign direct investment in Australia, and provides an analysis of the types of investment. The analysis begins with the theoretical frameworks that define multinational enterprise (MNE) activity, and foreign direct investment. The way in which 'institutional economics' theory is utilised within the 'eclectic paradigm' is also analysed herein. The 'Lehman Brothers shock', the ensuing market decline, and the subsequent investor indecisiveness have had effects on foreign direct investment in Asia, the EU, and North America (Devos & Giovanoli, 2011). While this situation continued, one particular economic bilateralism, that of Japan and Australia, has remained largely unaffected. The bilateral trade volumes and structure between the two remain unaltered in the aftermath of the 'shock'. This paper details the Japanese foreign direct investment patterns in Australia that were present before the 'Lehman Brothers shock', and continued afterwards (i.e. several-stage type of acquisitions). From the time of the 'shock' until April 2010, there were numerous Japanese acquisitions in Australia (Wallace, 2010). This process has been continuing, as of December 2011, with Japanese MNE Inpex's A$30 billion foreign direct investment in LNG extraction and export project (AAP, 2011; AFP, 2011). Nippon Paper Group's 2009 foreign direct investment in Australia was the ninth biggest Japanese global acquisition in that year (JETRO, 2010), and Mitsubishi Corporation's September 2008 foreign direct investment was the tenth largest (JETRO, 2009). The post-crisis business environment has been beset by uncertainties, and the global mergers and acquisitions had recovered to merely one third of the 2007 levels by the end of 2010 (UNCTAD, 2011). This has been the global trend, the context of the discussion herein. As this paper discusses, the global trend, which UNCTAD describes, does not readily apply to the Japanese foreign direct investment in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gross value of Australia's agriculture industry in 2001/2002 was A$38.4 billion with 65% allocated to exports. The major exports markets are South East Asia, Japan, USA, and the EU. Products include wool, beef, wheat, cotton, sugar, and wine. For Australia there have been significant changes over time in markets and production arrangements in the international arena. This is also true of the domestic market especially in the area of meat products. Australians, once dominant red meat eaters, have now ‘gone chicken.’ The total yearly consumption of meats averages around 110 kg per person. Beef up until recent years has always been the dominant player. However, in the last 30 years chicken consumption has risen from being a marginal food item to being a product that is expected to eclipse beef consumption in the very near future. This paper explores the trends and examines the changes as they are reflected by the behaviour of consumers and market chain drivers. The paper provides suggestions that could he gainfully employed at the consumer behaviour levels for other meat producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a diplomatic reflection based on a long connection with Australia and Australians and a posting to Canberra as Japanese ambassador (1998-2001). Key issues that have caused tension in the relationship and the process towards the development of mature bilateral relations are discussed. Finally, the paper argues that the bilateral relationship will continue to develop and prosper and that this is in the interests of both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing expectation that research be communicated broadly to share knowledge across industry, professional, governmental, and public spheres. Scholarly publishers can benefit from the sharing of research beyond academia since the potential for societal impact encourages further support from both industry and governmental funders. This paper draws on qualitative in‐depth interview data from Australian‐ and Japanese‐based early career researchers (ECRs) to investigate how higher education institutions support the development of diverse communication skills needed by ECRs to effectively share their research both in academia and beyond. We found that sharing research for academic and other diverse audiences is often perceived as valued but may not always be supported. Output valuing was communicated in performance management, but there were compelling differences between the two nations, with Japanese‐based ECRs reporting a stronger expectation of research outputs for non‐academic audiences than their Australian counterparts. There were also indications that institutional support for both academic and translational outputs may change in response to nations' shifting research priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why does the US government and some of its allies persist in controversial defence procurement projects? Using the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as a case study, this paper suggests that a contingency discourse created by key actors in the United States (US) military industrial complex has been internalized by policy makers. This is the case not only in the United States but also internationally among the decision-making elites of those countries involved in the production of the F-35. By focusing on the discursive evolution of key actors' responses to concerns of additional costs, delays, technical failures and waning innovative superiority of the F-35, this paper attempts to comprehend how the US and its allies have justified continued investment in such a controversial defence procurement project. This paper shows that a contingency discourse on the spectre of China's military build-up and the resulting arms race between the US and China is being deployed by policy makers in the US, Australia and Japan to make the F-35 look like a continuing necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Sedentary behavior (SB), defined as sitting (nonexercising), reclining, and lying down (posture), or by low energy expenditure, is a public health risk independent to physical activity. The objective of this systematic literature review was to synthesize the available evidence on amount of SB reported by and measured in older adults. Data source: Studies published between 1981 and 2014 were identified from electronic databases and manual searching. Large-scale population studies/surveys reporting the amount of SB (objective/ subjective) in older adults aged ≥ 60 years of age were included. Appraisal and synthesis was completed using MOOSE guidelines. Results: 349,698 adults aged ≥ 60 within 22 studies (10 countries and 1 EU-wide) were included. Objective measurement of SB shows that older adults spend an average of 9.4 hr a day sedentary, equating to 65-80% of their waking day. Self-report of SB is lower, with average weighted self-reports being 5.3 hr daily. Within specific domains of SB, older adults report 3.3 hr in leisure sitting time and 3.3 hr watching TV. There is an association with more time spent in SB as age advances and a trend for older men to spend more time in SB than women. Conclusion/ implications: Time spent sedentary ranges from 5.3-9.4 hr per waking day in older adults. With recent studies suggesting a link between SB, health, and well-being, independent of physical activity, this is an area important for successful aging. Limitations: Different methodologies of measurement and different reporting methods of SB made synthesis difficult. Estimated SB time from self-report is half of that measured objectively; suggesting that most self-report surveys of SB will vastly underestimate the actual time spent in SB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War memorials and related exhibition spaces are commonplace in Australian cities and towns. As critically reflected upon in this paper, there is much ‘hidden’ or alternative history that tends to get ignored when it comes to official memorials and conventional places of remembrance. The particular focus of our paper is the exploration of the peace-building and educational potential of site visits to a number of memorial places that differ, in significant ways, from national war memorials, war museums and battlefield tourism. As illustrated by the various case studies in this paper, there may be alternative, dissenting sites of memory/remembering that question selective remembering and militarising historical myths. Each of these ‘sites of conscience’ may offer, as discussed in this paper, significant opportunities for experiential learning and critical reflection on peace-related issues. The authors offer some reflections on these sites, the histories of the sites, and possible peace education implications. Our paper invites follow-up research and reflection on whether there are many other such ‘sites of conscience’ that peace educators may draw upon whether in Australia, Japan or internationally. Key issues include how such site visits and learning trails may excite curiosity cross-culturally among students about nonviolent, life-affirming alternatives to militarised ‘maps’ about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research identifies unique challenges for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer at or before 45 years of age. This paper explores the experiences of younger women from diverse cultural backgrounds with breast cancer to see if there are differing healthcare provision needs across cultures. Sandelowski and Barroso's framework for undertaking a meta-synthesis is used in this paper. Initial searches in academic databases returned 42 papers of interest. Re-reading the papers in the context of the research question identified 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Five key themes were identified in these 12 studies. The overarching finding is that, irrespective of cultural background, the confrontation with breast cancer transforms the younger woman's life. It seems that healthcare provision needs do not differ substantially across cultures. Health professionals should address the unique psychosocial effects of cancer in the context of the lifestage of the woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a case study of Japanese exchange students that investigated the ways such students note and evaluate various types of contact between native and host academic cultures while participating in new communities of practice at an Australian university. In this study, language management theory (Jernudd & Neustupný, 1987; Neustupný, 1985, 1994, 2004) was employed in conjunction with Lave and Wenger's (1991) concept of legitimate peripheral participation in order to investigate the sociocultural influence on cognitive processes of language management. The findings illustrate that not only norm deviations but also the phenomena relating to norm universality and compatibility generated processes of noting and evaluation. This study also provides an insight into mechanisms of self- and other-noting, as well as negative evaluations of norm deviations, and sheds light on positive evaluations of common disciplinary knowledge and cross-cultural situational similarities. Based on the findings, this paper indicates that noting and evaluation in language management processes should be considered in relation to students' social positionings, their power relations with other community members, their perceptions of self, and the context where the management occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the more nuanced experiential facets of self-conscious emotion from a cross-cultural perspective. The present study's aim was to investigate shame and embarrassment experiences in relation to shame logics (or appraisals), shame antecedents and intensity across cultures in Australia and Japan, drawing on Fessler's Dual Logics Model of Shame (Fessler, 2004), and applying a new instrument (The Self-Conscious Emotion Questionnaire). There were 157 participants from two cultures, Japan (75) and Australia (82) who completed both paper-based and web-based questionnaires. Previous findings showing a higher experienced shame intensity found in Japan were corroborated across all shame and embarrassment logics. While the logic of 'norm non-conformity' was the strongest logic in both cultures, the logic of 'status lowness' was prominent in Japan but not Australia, and the novel logic of 'broken positive assumptions about the self' was prominent in both cultures. Shame in Japan appeared to be stronger with an introspective 'eyes of self' but explicitly described trigger, whereas in Australia, it was more publicly 'eyes of other' and implicitly induced counter to some expectations. Findings support the Self-Conscious Emotion Questionnaire as an instrument for exploring nuanced aspects of self-conscious emotion in cross-cultural research and lend support to a novel third logic of 'broken positive assumptions about the self' in both Australian and Japanese samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses' beliefs about food and nutrition influence the care and advice they give patients, their families, nurses and others, but these beliefs have not been extensively researched before. This paper presents findings from the qualitative phase of a large q-methodology study that involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. The phase of the study reported here utilized a qualitative descriptive approach regarding a range of beliefs, and in-depth interviews with 240 participants who comprised 30 academics and 30 clinical nurses each from China, Thailand, Japan and Australia. Content analysis was employed to analyse the extracted data regarding their beliefs about nutrition and nutritional supplements, and the sources of these beliefs. Findings and resultant discussion are reported about 17 specific nutritional beliefs. We concluded that many nurses in all the surveyed countries had some false and scientifically unsupported beliefs about nutrition, derived primarily from the media or personal experience. Study findings speak to the need for nurses to critically examine the sources of information they use in their practice and teaching, as well as a need for research to be reported responsibly and accurately. The review of the presented evidence about nutrition will assist nurses in their clinical and teaching practice, and hopefully inspire them to use evidence-based practice in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the patterns of language choice and the construction of L2 learning opportunities in foreign language learners' social networks by focusing on how these patterns and opportunities are socially structured in a Japanese language learner's natural interactions. It is based on a range of data, including a script of on-line chat occurring in natural environments as well interview data. Drawing on Cummins' (1996) concept of interpersonal space, the findings indicate that there were a number of social and contextual factors that seemed to affect the learner's language choice and L2 learning opportunities in complex ways. Most of these factors appeared to be related to the learner's and/or his network interactants' identity as an adequate L2 user and their perception of each other's L2 proficiency and/or role. This paper provides insights into how to create environments that promote the learners' opportunities for L2 use and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) has become an integral part of Australia's current trade policy. Australia has signed FTAs with Singapore, Thailand and the US. Possibilities for similar agreements with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, and Japan are being explored. This paper examines the effects of FTAs on the Australian economy and on the trading partners, drawing lessons from simulations of a number of free trade agreements. The simulations are undertaken using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model. By simulating the GTAP multi-country computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the paper provides quantitative evidence concerning the welfare impact of FTAs with special reference to trade creation and trade diversion. Examining responses of various production sectors identifies the structural changes that may take place in the economy over the long run. The findings may shed light on the debate over the potential incentives to participate in multilateral trade liberalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to identify high employment industries in Australia, Japan and the USA using input–output (IO) analysis. It is found that (1) the high and low employment-generating industries in 1980 and/or 1990 are almost the same as those in 1997. Thus on a relative basis, there is no evidence that high employment-generating industries have changed since 1980; and (2) the high and low employment-generating industries are very similar across these three countries. Four of the consistently high employment-generating industries in these countries are Food, Beverage and Tobacco; Chemicals, Petroleum, Coal, Rubber & Non-Metallic Minerals; Basic Metals/Fabricated Products; and Electricity, Gas and Water, with the first three industries being part of manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide interest in Japanese Lesson Study as a vehicle to improve mathematics teaching practice through professional learning has left largely unanswered questions about the extent to which it can be replicated elsewhere. This paper reports on a small-scale research project, Implementing structured problem- solving mathematics lessons through lesson study, carried out in three Australian schools during 2012, and continued in a modified form during 2013 and 2014. Two major aims of the project were to investigate critical factors in the adaptation and effective implementation of (1) structured problem-solving mathematics lessons, and (2) Japanese Lesson Study as a model for teacher professional learning in the Australian context. This paper discusses the specific affordances that contributed to both the implementation of structured problem solving and to teachers' professional learning as a result of their participation in this project, as well as the constraints encountered, and the implications of these for the sustainability of lesson study in the Australian context. Critical factors identified by the teachers as contributing to the success of the project included the opportunities for in-depth lesson planning, the presence of large numbers of observers at the research lessons and the post-lesson discussions, and the insight provided by the 'knowledgeable other'. Major constraints included the difficulty in finding suitable problem solving tasks to match the Australian curriculum, and the teaching culture that emphasises small-group rather than whole-class teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC) in the economic relation between Australia and Japan. The organization was formed in 1962 and its goals were properly discussed in September of 1964 during the meeting of the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee (AJBCC) in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Among the goals formulated are the fortification of AJBCC, attracting foreign leaders, and to include the trade union representatives and the state as members of the committee.

BACKGROUND: The paper is a research review focusing on occupational safety in the construction industry. OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to present research that highlights the areas of occupational safety and risks and to identify areas where research is lacking. METHODS: 146 articles from scientific journals, mainly covering the construction industry in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and Japan have been studied. The findings are presented under 11 categories: accident statistics; individual factors; legislation and regulations; ethical considerations; risk management; leadership, management, organization; competence; safety design; cost-benefit calculations; programs and models; and technical solutions. RESULTS: The research is dominated by initiatives from researchers and government authorities, while the construction industry only appears as the object for the research. There is a scarcity of research on integrated systems encompassing subcontractors, as well as a lack of research with sociological perspectives on accidents. Furthermore, only a few studies have applied a gender perspective on safety in construction, i.e. there is a need of further research in this particular area. CONCLUSIONS: A range of initiatives have been taken to increase safety in the construction industry and the initiatives are mainly reported to be successful. There are some cultural differences, but basically researchers present similar results regardless of country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of Japanese citizens emigrating overseas has been increasing. The total number of overseas Japanese is over 1.3 million, and the number of those who hold permanent residency in other countries hit a record high of 484,150 in 2017. Australia is now the second most popular destination for Japanese permanent residents. What is behind the increase in Japanese emigration, and why has Australia become one of the most popular destinations? In contrast to the common understanding of skilled migration from industrialized countries as being oriented toward better lifestyle, this research found that skilled migrants who left Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima disasters of March 2011 have made their decision due to concerns over present and future risks that became manifested after the disasters. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews, this paper analyzes the socio-political, economic, and environmental risks that prominently emerged in the narratives of emigration decisions. While we still need more case studies to have a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon, our research in Australia suggests that post-3.11 skilled emigration from Japan carries some distinctive characteristics, including a growing sensitivity to risks, a desire for risk aversion, and political awareness among highly educated workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a small, longitudinal study involving a group of Japanese elementary school students (N = 29) involved in exploratory research using foreign language activities, including two Skype exchanges between these students and students in Australia. The purpose of the research was to test for the impact of a series of Skype exchange activities with students in Australia on Japanese elementary school students' affective variables toward EFL. The results show that the students had statistically significant increases in foreign language activities, international posture, and motivation. This tech-based language activity arguably supplied compelling comprehensible input. The student participation in the preparations leading up to the exchanges would have encouraged them to work diligently to be able to speak so as to be understood. The results are discussed regarding future directions in this line of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Conference paper by Roman Rosenbaum is presented on Postwar Australian-Japanese Reconciliation Movements, at the Conference titled, Wounds, Scars and Healing: Civil Society and Postwar Pacific Basin Reconciliation, held at the University of Sydney September 29 to October 2, 2015.

The recent judgment in the International Court of Justice case Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) determined that Japanese 'special permit' whaling in the Southern Ocean was not 'for the purposes of scientific research'. This is the only exemption permitted under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling's current moratorium on commercial whaling. The Court made its determination by characterising the Japanese research program as a scientific program, but failing to define what scientific research actually was or was not. This paper presents the background to the decision, and challenges the reasoning of the Court and its standard of review test. It concludes that the Court failed to take the opportunity to offer a clear determination to states on their legal–scientific obligations within international law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies parts of the International Court of Justice's judgment in Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) that might hold broader relevance beyond the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, and explores what that might entail for the Antarctic Treaty System. There are four aspects explored. First, an analysis of the Court's treatment of Japan's challenge to jurisdiction that touched upon the relevance or otherwise of Antarctic sovereignty to the issues at hand in the case. Second, the Court's drawing of important conclusions from the Whaling Convention's status as an 'evolving instrument', in light of it having a treaty body with ongoing decision making responsibility will be discussed. Third, to what extent might the Court's assessment of the concept of 'science' in a legal context find relevance in Antarctic obligations will be analysed. Finally, the success of the claim brought by Australia, and the manner in which the Court addressed the issues before it, and whether they bear any consequences for potential, future environmental cases, will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors explain the purpose and context for the 2009 International Symposium on Economic Education that was the source for articles on four nations with relatively developed systems for economic education: Australia, England, Japan, and Korea. The authors highlight several key comparisons from the four articles that appear in this Journal of Economic Education issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Evidence supporting the practice of skin‐to‐skin contact and breastfeeding soon after birth points to physiologic, social, and psychological benefits for both mother and baby. The 2009 revision of Step 4 of the WHO/UNICEF “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” elaborated on the practice of skin‐to‐skin contact between the mother and her newly born baby indicating that the practice should be “immediate” and “without separation” unless documented medically justifiable reasons for delayed contact or interruption exist. While in immediate, continuous, uninterrupted skin‐to‐skin contact with mother in the first hour after birth, babies progress through 9 instinctive, complex, distinct, and observable stages including self‐attachment and suckling. However, the most recent Cochrane review of early skin‐to‐skin contact cites inconsistencies in the practice; the authors found “inadequate evidence with respect to details … such as timing of initiation and dose.” This paper introduces a novel algorithm to analyse the practice of skin to skin in the first hour using two data sets and suggests opportunities for practice improvement. The algorithm considers the mother's Robson criteria, skin‐to‐skin experience, and Widström's 9 Stages. Using data from vaginal births in Japan and caesarean births in Australia, the algorithm utilizes data in a new way to highlight challenges to best practice. The use of a tool to analyse the implementation of skin‐to‐skin care in the first hour after birth illuminates the successes, barriers, and opportunities for improvement to achieving the standard of care for babies. Future application should involve more diverse facilities and Robson's classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kyoto Protocol continues to provide a binding framework for global warming prevention. However, it will be supplanted by the Paris Agreement in 2020. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, where only developed countries take responsibility for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the Paris Agreement involves all countries who have signed the accord. Following the Paris Agreement, it has been agreed that global warming will be kept within a 2°C increase from pre-industrial levels. In this paper, the implications of this policy reform on Japan, China and Australia are discussed. Utilizing the" Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) in the Kyoto Protocol, many Japanese firms have used foreign direct investments (FDI) to conduct reforestation in areas outside Japan in order to offset emissions produced by Japan. Although this mechanism might be weakened by the Paris Agreement, the contribution to reforestation by Japanese firms using FDIs have not always been significant as they were oriented towards business interests rather than environmental goals. Most of these FDIs were carried out by electrical power companies, trading firms, paper manufacturing companies and companies using paper. In addition, the newly planted trees tended to be cut down every 7 years for chip pulp used in paper production which was then exported by Japanese firms. Trees can only effectively absorb CO2 when they are grown for longer terms. Therefore, these Japanese FDI projects can be viewed with suspicion in regards to reducing CO2 emissions. In addition, the expected shift from nuclear power to thermal power in Japan following the 2011 Fukushima Disaster will likely mean uranium imports from Australia will shrink in favor of coal. This will not only impact the Australian economy but may also have negative effects on Japan's attempts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Both Japan and Australia had failed to ratify the Paris agreement before its implementation although they signed it afterwards. This has substantially weakened their negotiation powers with regards to climate change. However, Chinese leadership on climate change has continued to strengthen, particularly after President Donald Trump announced the USA's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and TPP and the EU's instability following Brexit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the linguistic and sociocultural benefits of class-based email projects are widely acknowledged, there has been little investigation of what occurs after a curriculum activity finishes. In particular, what factors promote continued communication or cause communication breakdown have received less empirical attention. This paper explores factors which promote the continuation or non-continuation of email interactions between Australian and Japanese students after the conclusion of their coursework email exchange task via the analysis of two class surveys, in addition to collected email interaction and interviews with four key students (two continuers and two non-continuers) who serve as case studies. The experiences of these four students who were randomly assigned partners in the project are contrasted with those of a fifth student, Lucas, who chose to communicate with a long-term Japanese friend for the assessment, instead of being paired by the teacher. A number of factors which influence continuation are identified, including past sojourn experience, existing social networks, perceptions towards the curriculum task and their partners, shared topics of interest, time constraints, explicit statement of desire to continue, and potentially face-threatening behaviour, and several recommendations for enhancing online exchanges are given. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing upon the findings of a grounded theory study, this article addresses how sunao- sa influences intercultural communication and the process of building and developing trust between Japanese expatriate managers and Australian supervisors working in subsidiaries of Japanese multinationals in Australia. The authors argue that sunao is related to other concepts in business ethics and virtue literature such as character and its constituents, empathy and concern for others. How sunao as a value, influences the process of interpreting intercultural behaviour in relation to providing accounts, excuses or apologies in situations where a breach of some norm has occurred, is also explained. Although sunao has a particular role in hierarchical relationships between manager and subordinate, the paper concludes that becoming mutually sunao is crucial in learning and understanding the perspectives and expectations of a counterpart so that trust can deepen and flourish. The study makes an original contribution in an area that to date does not appear to have been researched from a management perspective and purports that sunao as character is an important factor in the culture of Japanese multinational organizations and indeed, international management in that context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does America's greater focus on Asia impact the security policies of Japan and Australia? How does it change the nature of the Japan-US-Australia security partnership? This paper attempts to answer these questions by looking at Japanese and Australian responses to the Obama Administration's new security policy toward Asia called “rebalancing.” After examining them, it argues that the regional allied response to America's new security posture has generated greater momentum for both allies to collaborate in wider areas in a more timely and effective way than before. It concludes asserting that, in the era of rebalance, Japan, the United States, and Australia have not only deepened their existing cooperation, but also have expanded potential areas of cooperation toward a more “dynamic” partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The papers in this volume seek to broaden the concept of ‘varieties of unionism’ by comparing the labour movements of six countries in the Asia-Pacific region: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia. While there is a great diversity of economic, socio-cultural and ethnic factors which have influenced the nature of industrial relations and unionism in each country, all have experienced the impact of globalisation on their labour markets to varying degrees. The repertoire of revitalisation strategies used by unions in Asia are similar, in many ways, to those adopted in western market economies, but their specific forms differ. The authors of the studies in this volume examine the factors which have helped and/or hindered union revitalisation in each of the countries studied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with language management within a transnational business network, with a specific focus on the process of noting. In an analysis of one business encounter involving one Japanese and one Australian business representative, language management is found to occur at the grammatical, (non-grammatical) communicative and also sociocultural/socioeconomic levels. Furthermore, the language management involves not just individual acts but also occurs at the level of the speech event, as seen through an analysis of how the participants perceive the function of the encounter and their respective roles vis-à-vis their own institutional networks. The data consists of a video-tape recording in conjunction with follow-up (stimulated recall) interviews with the two participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Broome Shire Council's decision in 2009 to suspend the sister-town relationship because of controversy over Taiji's practice of culling dolphins galvanized Broome's Asian and Asian-Aboriginal community (hereafter referred to as poly-ethnic community) to oppose this move. This, and other examples explored in this paper, attests to the strong connection between these two groups that has shaped a distinctive 'Broome culture'. This paper explores ways in which Japanese working in the pearling industry contributed to the emergence of a Broome culture through their historic ties with Aborigines. Some of these ties are through family lineage; others are through vast interlocking familial and friendship networks in Broome's Asian-Aboriginal community. Recent interviews attest to the enduring nature of these networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-war period Australian Prime Ministers have played a proactive role in formulating foreign policy towards Japan. This paper explores the role of executive leadership towards Japan and its impact on the bilateral relationship. The Howard period and current Rudd-led initiatives on whaling, nuclear disarmament, climate change and regional architecture are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a survey-based study of perceptions of ethical business practices in 13 countries of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Responses from more than 23,000 managers and employees were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc comparisons, aimed at identifying homogenous sets of countries. Anglo countries (US, UK, Australia, and Canada) clustered together, and were joined by India in most cases. Japan and Italy formed a homogenous subset significantly different from all other countries. Countries of continental Europe, China, Mexico, and Brazil formed various mid-range groupings. The paper discusses some salient differences between groups of countries and presents implications for human resource management (HRD) practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research reported in this paper examined spoken mathematics in particular well-taught classrooms in Australia, China (both Shanghai and Hong Kong), Japan, Korea and the USA from the perspective of the distribution of responsibility for knowledge generation in order to identify similarities and differences in classroom practice and the implicit pedagogical principles that underlie those practices. The methodology of the Learner's Perspective Study documented the voicing of mathematical ideas in public discussion and in teacher-student conversations and the relative priority accorded by different teachers to student oral contributions to classroom activity. Significant differences were identified among the classrooms studied, challenging simplistic characterisations of 'the Asian classroom' as enacting a single pedagogy, and suggesting that, irrespective of cultural similarities, local pedagogies reflect very different assumptions about learning and instruction. We have employed spoken mathematical terms as a form of surrogate variable, possibly indicative of the location of the agency for knowledge generation in the various classrooms studied (but also of interest in itself). The analysis distinguished one classroom from another on the basis of "public oral interactivity" (the number of utterances in whole class and teacher-student interactions in each lesson) and "mathematical orality" (the frequency of occurrence of key mathematical terms in each lesson). Classrooms characterized by high public oral interactivity were not necessarily sites of high mathematical orality. In particular, the results suggest that one characteristic that might be identified with a national norm of practice could be the level of mathematical orality: relatively high mathematical orality characterising the mathematics classes in Shanghai with some consistency, while lessons studied in Seoul and Hong Kong consistently involved much less frequent spoken mathematical terms. The relative contributions of teacher and students to this spoken mathematics provided an indication of how the responsibility for knowledge generation was shared between teacher and student in those classrooms. Specific analysis of the patterns of interaction by which key mathematical terms were introduced or solicited revealed significant differences. It is suggested that the empirical investigation of mathematical orality and its likely connection to the distribution of the responsibility for knowledge generation and to student learning ourcomes are central to the development of any theory of mathematics instruction and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of the paper is to determine the dynamic relationships between REIT returns and those of other financial and real unsecuritized assets internationally. Design/methodology/approach - Using a multi-factor model the flexible least squares (FLS) coefficients of REIT returns against stock, bond and direct property returns are derived for the REIT markets of the USA, Australia, Japan and Singapore. Findings - The correlation between REIT returns and those of other financial and real assets varies not only across countries but also inter-temporally. REITs can certainly provide diversification benefits to a multi-asset investment portfolio. However, due to the time-varying nature of the correlation, active management is advised and REITs should be not be viewed as a complete substitute for direct property investment. Research limitations/implications - There are two major limitations to the study. Firstly, the sampling periods used are not the same across the countries due to differing market maturity. Secondly, there are also sheer differences in market sizes. However, as REIT markets around the world continue to grow and become more mature in terms of their breath and depth, there will be a richer set of data available for more in-depth analyses based on the methodology presented here. Practical implications - The conclusions on both mature and emerging REIT markets could provide some ideas for international investors as to how they should formulate their time-varying investment strategies and reconstruct their portfolios as mature markets become more efficient and emerging ones more mature. Originality/value - The inclusion of Asian markets enables investigation of the correlation between REITs and different assets in respect not only of different market conditions, but also different geographical locations and market maturity. The international dimension of this paper may appeal to readers and investors who are interested in identifying diversification opportunities around the globe, especially so when the capital and property markets around the world are becoming more integrated and globalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Languages education, or what has been called the study of languages other than English (LOTE), seems to involve a paradox in Australia. It is supposed to promote cultural enrichment and intercultural understanding, and yet the process of becoming a qualified language teacher tends to be intolerant of the cultural differences of overseas born and educated speakers of these languages. This is clear from an increasing body of literature on the difficulties experienced by overseas educated language teachers, which we review in the first half of this paper. Since this raises questions on how such teachers survive in Australia, we then present an introspective study of the experiences of the first author, including the circumstances that brought her to Australia, the difficulties she faced in teacher training and as a newly employed teacher, and the factors that enabled her to cope and eventually succeed. Her experiences highlight the particular importance of supportive supervisors and colleagues, thus suggesting a valuable role for mentoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thesis of this paper is that governments of some otherwise enlightened states are increasingly fearful of acknowledging the restraints imposed on them by existing international law. They are also reluctant to enter into new commitments by way of international conventions that would expand the reach of international law. The paper asks whether these fears are based on a true understanding of international law or on some distorted view of it. It will draw comparisons and some contrasts between Australia and the United States in their reactions to a number of recent events as well as to some enduring situations of contemporary relevance. Had time (and the limits of my research) permitted, one might also have examined public attitudes toward international law in China, Japan, and Russia in this context, where similar fears appear to be entertained. France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, also enlightened states, appear by contrast to belong to a group more dedicated to international law. As Robert Kagan has recently remarked, the experience of two world wars at close quarters, and the formation of the European Union, have made the European countries more dedicated to process, where the United States is more interested in results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the Japanese position on East Timor and highlights tension in bilateral relations between Australia and Japan on East Timor during the year 1999. The sources of tension were over leadership, appropriate policy towards indonesia and the style of diplomacy conducted by Australia. In many respects the tension over East Timor shook complacency in bilateral relations. By January 2001 tension was resolved and bilateral ties have been strengthened in the areas of security and regional cooperation. What does this episode reveal about the bilateral relationship? Quite clearly, and despite the depth of networks that have been established over the decades, there was insufficient consultation on East Timor. In pan, the extraordinary events that unfolded after the results of the ballot in East Timor were announced on 4 September 1999 and Australia's leadership role in the international Force in East Timor (INTERFET) can explain the lack of consultation. Also, a drift in relations that had been evident for several years was a significant factor. Finally, the paper argues that despite the substantial improvement in bilateral relations, policy towards Indonesia will remain a potential source of friction between the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]