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The electron density (Ne), ion density (Ni), and electron temperature (Te) statistics recorded by the DEMETER satellite payload ISL (Instrument Sonde de Langmuir) were used to study the disturbance characteristics of the ionosphere before solid earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher in Japan during the summer of 2005 – 2009 , to provide more information and methods for the coupling mechanism and short-range earthquake prediction. In this paper, the region of ± 10 ° of the epicenter is divided into 1 ° × 1 ° pixels, and the background field of each parameter is constructed using data without earthquakes and relatively calm space weather. We also define a measure of the perturbation intensity of ionospheric parameters relative to the background field during the occurrence of earthquakes. The analysis results of the four Japanese earthquakes from space and time show an excellent synchronization in the time and area of the anomalies in ionospheric parameters of the four cases. All four instances showed Ne abnormalities, and three showed Ni and Te anomalies, in which N e and Ni increased or decreased abnormally, while Te increased abnormally every time, and the anomalies mainly occurred about 9–12 days before the earthquake. This paper eliminates the influence of solar, geomagnetic, and satellite data defects on the experimental results as much as possible in data screening and method selection. The results partially agree with the conclusions reported in the existing literature, and the obtained anomalies are somewhat related to the ionospheric precursors of earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates the ways in which discourses in a state-sponsored volunteer program incited transformations of individual subjectivities, focusing on a group of Japanese language teacher volunteers training in Japan to become teachers of Japanese as a heritage language for the country's diaspora (Nikkei) population in South America. As teachers of heritage Japanese at Japanese language schools in these Nikkei communities, their work was central to Japan's diaspora strategies, which reframe the Nikkei population as Japan's "diplomatic assets" connected to Japan through their Nikkei identity. Focusing on these language teachers as important actors in Japan's diaspora strategies, this study illustrates how their encounter with the institutional discourses resulted in the transformations of their subjectivities. Such transformations occurred during the volunteer training sessions hosted by Japan's international cooperation agency to conceptualize their roles as teachers of Japanese as someone's heritage language. By illustrating the ways in which these volunteer individuals' transformations fit within state diaspora strategies, this article underscores the role of state actors in the process of subjectification, which has tended to be overlooked in previous studies of governmentality.

Background: On August 5th, 2006, the third meeting of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities was convened in Maastricht, The Netherlands, coinciding with the 2nd International Congress of IASSID-Europe. The SIRG Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities membership includes scholars from a number of countries including the United States, Canada, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These scholars come from a range of academic and professional disciplines, including sociology, psychology, education, nursing, social work and occupational therapy. Method: This position paper developed by the Parenting SIRG brings into sharp relief the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006. The convention affirms the right of persons with disabilities to marry and found a family (Article 23, (1)(a)). Further, states parties are bound to "take effective action and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and relationships..." (Article 23 (1)), and "...render appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities" (Article 23 (2)). Results: This position paper synthesizes messages from research about the challenges that parents labelled with intellectual disability face, and how they can be assisted in their parenting role.

Background We previously showed that the number of publications in dermatology is increasing year by year, and positively correlates with improved economic conditions in mainland China, a still developing Asian country. However, the characteristics of publications in dermatology departments in more developed Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are unknown. Methods In the present study, publications from 2003 through 2012 in dermatology in Japan, South Korea and mainland China were characterized. All data were obtained from www.pubmed.com. Results Dermatology departments in Japan published 4,094 papers, while mainland China and South Korea published 1528 and 1,758 articles, respectively. 48% of articles from dermatology in Japan were original research and 36% were case reports; The number of publications in Japan remained stable over time, but the overall impact factors per paper increased linearly over the last 10 year period (p < 0.05). In mainland China, 67% of articles from dermatology were original research, while 19% were case reports; The number of publications and their impact factors per paper increased markedly. In South Korea, 65% of articles from dermatology were original research and 20% were case reports. The impact factors per paper remained unchanged, despite of the fact that the number of publications increased over the last 10 year period (r2 = 0.6820, p = 0.0032). Only mainland China showed a positive correlation of the number of publications with gross domestic product per capita during this study period. Conclusions These results suggest that the total number of publications in dermatology correlates with economic conditions only in developing country, but not in more developed countries in Asia. The extent of economic development could determine both the publication quantity and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented, announcing the publication of the first edition of the International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support by a new editorial team. It mentions that the focus of this edition is on school-wide Positive Behavioural Support (SWPBS) in Japan, featuring papers on the implementation of Tier 1 SWPBS and its adaptation to Japanese culture and values.

This article assesses the impact of environmental regulation (ER) in host countries on Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) decision-making. It tests the pollution haven hypothesis using data on national (ER) standards and Japanese inward FDI in five dirty industries (iron and steel industry, nonferrous metals industry, chemicals industry, paper and pulp industry, nonmetallic products industry). The results do not support the pollution hypothesis. On the contrary, inward Japanese FDI appears to be attracted to countries which have committed themselves to a transparent and stable environment regulatory environment, suggesting that the quality of the regulatory framework in terms of its certainty and transparency has a greater influence on foreign investors' choice of location than the level of environmental regulatory measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anode electrode plays a vital role in the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) because it has the function of collecting electrons generated by microorganisms living in the anode chamber. In this letter, activated carbon papers fabricated based on ZnCl2‐activated carbon (ZAC) or steam‐activated carbon (SAC) were used as the anodic materials. Escherichia coli was used as an electrogenic bacterium in a two‐chamber MFC. This study compared the performance of ZAC and SAC in the anode. X concentrations (X = 10, 20, and 40 wt%) of ZAC or SAC in the anodes were investigated. The ZAC‐based anode outperformed the SAC‐based anode in terms of MFC‐generated power density. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate changes in the clinical state of taste disorders between 1990, 2003, and 2019 using the same methodology as that in previous studies.Materials and Methods: In June 2019, we mailed a questionnaire to 1100 otolaryngologists belonging to the Japan Society of Stomato-pharyngology and investigated three question categories: "Institution", "Number of patients for 3 months", and "Treatment". In addition, we analyzed some results by the class of institution.Results: The rate of patients who complained of taste disorders in the 2019 survey (220/100,000 persons/year) was twice that of the 1990 survey (110/100,000 persons/year), and slightly higher than that of the 2003 survey (192/100,000 persons/year). The rate of female patients was higher than that of male patients in all age groups. The number of patients was correlated with age up to 70 years of age in both genders. The rates of performing taste tests to assess taste function in the 2019 survey were significantly decreased compared with a 2003 survey (electrogustometry: p<0.001, filter paper disk method: p<0.05 in university). The rate of examination of the serum zinc in the 2019 survey was increased compared with the 1990 survey (p<0.001). Zinc oral therapy was used for the treatment of taste disorders in 239/299 (79.9%) patients/institutes for 3 months. In addition, 213 institutions (69.6%) answered that zinc oral therapy was efficacious for taste disorders.Conclusion: The patients who complained of taste disorder have increased. The zinc administration is an appropriate clinical treatment for taste disorders in Japan. To enhance treatment for taste disorders, simpler methods for assessing taste function need to be developed, and the pathological mechanisms of taste disorders other than zinc deficiency need to be clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights a technique developed by scientists at the Yokohama City Sewage Bureau in Japan in June 1991, which turns sewage into paper. The technique entails heating the sewage to 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit and spinning it. Thus far, the weak, speckled paper has been used to make business cards for the bureau's officials. But, because the average Yokohaman produces enough sewage to make four sheets of paper each day, city officials are examining other potential uses for this unlikely resource.

The article offers information on the White Paper on International Economy & Trade 2015 which discusses the earning capacity of businesses in Japan. Topics included in the report are the changes in the external account and global economic trends in the country, how to strengthen the competitiveness of the country, and international economic policy. Several charts are also presented.

By applying institutional theory in retail and COVID-19 settings, this paper investigates the impact of legitimacy dimensions on customer loyalty, considering the moderating effect of the perceived COVID-19 threat. The data collected by a consumer survey in Japan and Croatia were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. The results from both samples reveal that moral and cognitive legitimacy are critical loyalty drivers. The perceived COVID-19 threat moderated the relationship between cognitive legitimacy and loyalty. The study also reveals some differences between the countries. The impact of pragmatic legitimacy is significant only in Croatia, while perceived threat negatively moderates the relationship between moral legitimacy and loyalty only in Japan. The study provides recommendations for managers on how to gain loyalty through actions supporting legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion paper addresses the challenges and future directions for preventing aspiration pneumonia in Japan's rapidly aging population. It highlights the increasing proportion of elderly individuals and the associated rise in health issues like decreased swallowing function, a risk factor for aspiration pneumonia. The paper emphasizes the effectiveness of dentist-provided oral care in preventing this condition but notes the lack of collaboration between dentists and physicians in Japan's clinical practice. Key challenges identified include the scarcity of full-time hospital dentists, insufficient communication between physicians and dentists, limited patient understanding and motivation regarding oral care, and a lack of training in geriatric dentistry. The paper advocates for enhanced awareness among healthcare professionals and patients, increased hospital dentists, and improved collaboration mechanisms, particularly in light of recent positive changes in insurance reimbursement policies for elderly oral care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years attempts have been made to standardize sign languages. This form of language planning has been tackled by a variety of agents, most notably teachers of Deaf students, social workers, government agencies, and occasionally groups of Deaf people themselves. Their efforts have most often involved the development of sign language books with lists of signs in alphabetical order (as distinct from sign language principles) and more recently as CDROMs, DVDs, or websites. With regard to the all-important question about language standardization, Karin Hoyer asks, "Who is behind the effort?" and goes on to say that "standardization actions (often with the aim of reducing lexical variation) have frequently been undertaken with the strong support of the hearing-run education system--from outside, often without any support from the language users themselves" (2012, 32). Today, sign language planning is still carried out largely by hearing professionals; thus, that standardization still needs to be examined in relation to "language ownership" (Eichmann 2009).

In the context of the rapid development of multimedia and information technology, machine translation plays an indispensable role in cross-border e-commerce between China and Japan. However, due to the complexity and diversity of natural languages, a single neural machine translation model tends to fall into local optimality, leading to poor accuracy. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a general multimodal machine translation model based on visual information. First, visual information and text information are used to generate a visual representation of perceptual text information. Then, the two modal information are encoded separately, and the proportion of visual information in the whole multimodal information is controlled by a gating network. Finally, experiments are conducted on the image description datasets MSCOCO, Flickr30k, and video dataset VATEX, respectively. The results show that the algorithm in this paper achieves the best performance on both the BLEU and METEOR evaluation metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several multimedia applications have recently been implemented on mobile devices, including digital image compression, video compression, and audio processing. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing has grown in popularity, necessitating the execution of large amounts of data in mobile devices. Therefore, the processing core in a mobile device requires high performance, programmability, and versatility. Multimedia apps for mobile devices typically comprise repeated arithmetic and table‐lookup coding operations. A Content Addressable Memory‐based massive‐parallel SIMD matriX core (CAMX) is presented to increase the processing speed of both operations on a processing core. The CAMX serves as a CPU core accelerator for mobile devices. The CAMX supports high‐parallel processing and is equipped with two CAM modules for high‐speed repeated arithmetic and table‐lookup coding operations. The CAMX has great performance, programmability, and versatility on mobile devices because it can handle logical, arithmetic, search, and shift operations in parallel. This paper shows that the CAMX can process parallel repeated arithmetic and table‐lookup coding operations; single‐precision floating‐point arithmetic can calculate 1024 entries in 5613 clock cycles in parallel without embedding a dedicated floating‐point arithmetic unit. This clock cycle using two's complement‐reduced floating‐point addition implementation decreases 59% than the implementation of straight‐forward floating‐point addition. The implementation of straight‐forward floating‐point additions is improved as two's complement instruction reduced algorithms. Thus, this paper proposes an instruction reduction architecture by modulating the CAMX to directly access the data in the left and right CAM modules from the preserve register. The CAMX has achieved high performance, programmability, and versatility by not embedding a dedicated processing unit. Moreover, assuming the CAMX processes at an operating frequency of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 GHz, it can process floating‐point additions above approximately 4500 parallelized data, with better performance than an ARM core using NEON and Vector Floating‐Point (VFP). In addition, related works executed by software instruction, dedicated floating‐point arithmetic unit, or both and the CAMX are compared while assuming the same operation frequency. From this result, the CAMX which has 128‐bit and 1024‐entry CAM modules achieves higher performance than the related works executed by only software instructions and by combining software instructions and a dedicated floating‐point arithmetic unit. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconsiders the concept of "inclusion" by examining conceptions of "totality/wholeness," while exploring conflicts and dilemmas among various actors across the boundaries between the formal and non-formal in the Japanese public education system. Referencing the process surrounding the enactment of the new law on securing educational opportunities, the notion of "diversity" is examined as it pertains to the conflict between "publicness" in formal schools, which includes ideas related to diversity and heterogeneity (otherness), and "freedom to educate" in non-formal education. Analysis suggests that it is undesirable to establish a definitive boundary between the two; instead, maintaining a form of tentative, intersectional, and responsive boundary would result in more eff ective understanding of the diverse needs of people who feel marginalized. Based on this, the author explores a theoretical model which withstands such questions of inclusion. From the perspective of the "included party," which has its own heterogeneous values in relation to mainstream value systems, the author proposes a "responsive wholeness" model in contrast to a "concentric totality" model in order to reexamine the idea of inclusion. Finally, the paper outlines suggestions for reexamining "inclusion" grounded in this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the object‐tracking algorithm based on Siamese network has gradually become the mainstream algorithm in the field of object tracking due to its characteristics of balancing speed and accuracy. The majority of Siamese‐based trackers only use the first frame extraction template for subsequent tracking in order to prevent the introduction of noise. However, merely with a single initial template employed, it is difficult to achieve the best performance of the tracker in the face of complex tracking environments such as occlusion, motion blur, and non‐rigid deformation. Therefore, the present paper proposes a new multi‐template fusion module based on graph attention network (G‐M module), which consists of two parts: a graph‐attention‐network‐based feature‐embedding module (G module) and a multi‐template fusion module (M module). It can greatly reduce the background noise introduced by template updating while improving the tracker's ability to adapt to changes in object appearance. In addition, in order to maximize the value of G‐M module, the present paper also puts forward a two‐stage template update threshold judgment mechanism. The Pearson correlation coefficient (PCCs) is introduced and combined with APCE and the maximum response value (F‐max) to filter out reliable templates for updating. In this paper, the proposed method is applied to the SiamFC and SiamFC++ trackers. Extensive experiments on mainstream data sets, such as OTB2015, VOT2016, and GOT‐10 k, show that the proposed method can effectively update the tracking template and improve the tracker performance. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study demonstrates how the environmentally weighted material consumption (EMC) indicator can be used to assess the resource efficiency of bioeconomy policies by calculating thirteen categories of environmental impacts associated with the production and the use of 146 biomass resources in Japan. The total environmental impact, expressed in the Japanese life cycle database in Japanese yen (JPY), decreased from 2,444 × 109 JPY in 1990 to 1,870 × 109 JPY in 2010. Supply chain related emissions (upstream) represented more than 98% of the impacts for all years. Land use, resource consumption, global warming, and urban air pollution were the main impact categories accounting respectively for 45%, 32%, 14% and 8% of the impacts. Ten products were found responsible for more than half of the impacts: rice, raw milk, beef cattle, painted printing paper, broiler, rolls of newsprint, hen egg, squares, common plywood and lumbers. Improvement of the production processes, reduction of consumed amounts and dietary change were identified as potential strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of these materials. Still, finding the best policy option may require the development of a life cycle assessment database able to differentiate organic and conventional agriculture and to better represent the production and environmental specificities of importing countries. • Environmentally weighted material consumption as an indicator of bioeconomy. • Detailed analysis of 146 biomass materials' environmental impacts. • Land use and resource consumption are the main impact categories. • Ten products are responsible for 50% of the total impacts. • Yield increase, diet shift, and paper recycling can reduce biomass related impacts. [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]

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Oral communication skills are essential for engineers today and, as they are included in accreditation criteria of educational programmes, their teaching and evaluation deserve attention. However, concrete aspects as to what should be taught and evaluated in relation to oral communication skills have not been sufficiently established. In this paper, a method to aid the efficient teaching of oral presentation skills is proposed, from the presentation structure level to word and sentence level choices, through the use of JECPRESE, The Japanese-English Corpus of Presentations in Science and Engineering. As of June 2012, the corpus is composed of transcriptions of 74 presentations delivered in Japanese by students graduating from the Master's programme of various engineering departments and 31 presentations delivered in English, 16 by experienced researchers at an international conference on chemistry, and 15 by undergraduate engineering students of a mid-sized American university. The utterances were classified according to the specific moves (sections of the speech that express specific speaker intent) appearing in the presentations and frequently used words/expressions to express these moves were identified. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

This study looks at the state of collaboration in scientific research between universities and industries in Japan by measuring the level of coauthorship of academic publications. The analysis is based on data retrieved from the databases of the National Citation Report for Japan, which was produced by Thomson Scientific (ISI) and included papers published from 1981 to 2003, and the Citation Database for Japanese Papers, which was produced by the National Institute of Informatics, Japan, and included papers published from 1995 to 2004. It is revealed that there is a large 'perception gap' between industries and universities concerning their collaborations. The situation, trends and characteristics of industry-university collaborations are investigated and discussed from international and national perspectives. The disciplinary and regional differences in such collaborations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine how Japanese education policy was articulated discursively from 1996 to 2010 in the semi-annual speeches of prime ministers to the Diet. It will identify three distinct discourses within these policy statements: a progressive discourse emphasizing the rights of individuals; a neo-liberal discourse of social independence and multi-tracked schooling; and a moral conservative discourse of patriotism and social conformism. In the 1990s, progressive and neo-liberal discourses held sway. Discursively, they were centred on key phrases such as "kosei jushi" ("respect for individuality") and "sozosei" (creativity), which were employed in a strategically ambiguous way to satisfy both progressive and neo-liberal demands. In the 2000s, however, right-wing politicians began to push a moral conservative agenda, which emphasized not the rights of individuals but their subservience to the wider needs of society and state. With neo-liberalism backed by powerful business interests, policymakers had to find a way to reconcile these two conflicting viewpoints discursively. They did this by binding the concept of individuality to traditional notions of Japanese identity and national citizenship, creating a hybrid discourse that attempted to blur the fundamental difference in ideologies. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of the study is to identify the patterns of change in higher education institutions. It examines the contexts of the changing quality assurance mechanisms used by the different types of higher education institutions in England, Japan, and New York State between 2001 and 2007. The paper argues that there were no clear patterns of institutional change in terms of speed, intensity, extensiveness, momentum, trajectory, and consequence between centralized and decentralized institutions and public and private institutions. The study suggests three points for explanation why institutional types do not shape certain patterns of institutional change. The first point is that institutional change heavily relies on agents' interactions. The second point is that the ideas of centralized or decentralized and private or public per se are becoming ambiguous in the market or market-like systems. The third point is that the relationship between the central authorities and the institutions is far more significant than the types of institutions in the formation of particular patterns of institutional change. (Contains 1 figure and 9 notes.)

The history of the research on the SC (sudden commencement) of magnetic storms before World War II is studied in this paper. Since geomagnetic research activities before World War II are still not yet fully known, this paper aims to reveal some historical facts related to SC investigation at that time. The first conclusion of this paper is the possible first discoverer of the simultaneity of SC at distant locations. We show that a Portuguese scientist had already pointed it out 16 years earlier than believed. The second conclusion is the role and activities of Aikitu Tanakadate as the reporter of the SC investigation committee of STME (Section of Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity) and IATME (International Association of Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity) in the IGGU (International Geodetic and Geophysical Union) or IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics). Very little was known about his activities as the reporter of this committee. Our investigation at the Tanakadate Aikitu Memorial Science Museum disclosed how he acted and what he thought of SC, based on his frequent letters to and from other scientists. The third conclusion concerns SC research carried out by Japanese scientists during the period of the Second International Polar Year (1932–1933). Not only Tanakadate but also many other Japanese scientists participated in SC research during this international project. This formed a traditional basis of SC investigation in Japan, prompting a number of Japanese scientists to study SC after World War II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of the failure probability is essential in the reliability‐centered and risk‐based maintenance of power transformers. The breakage of the pressboard in disc‐type transformers is one of the critical factors determining the lifetimes of power transformers. In this paper, a hierarchical method for evaluating the probability of pressboard failure, which is the breakage of the pressboard, in power transformers that considers the axial displacement of the winding is introduced. In the method, the diagnosis of the axial displacement is classified into three distinct classes. In class 1, no diagnosis is implemented, and the probability of failure is evaluated with the maximum possible axial displacement. In class 2, the diagnosis determines whether the winding is axially displaced. When the winding is diagnosed to be displaced, the probability of failure is evaluated with the maximum possible axial displacement. In class 3, the axial displacement is diagnosed quantitatively, and the probability of failure is then evaluated using the diagnosis result. Examples of the evaluated probabilities of pressboard failure are introduced, and the extension of the evaluated lifetimes of power transformers via the diagnosis of winding axial displacement is demonstrated. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses Japan's COVID-19 response drawing on a survey of more than 3200 prospective international students affected by the (colloquially named) #JapanTravelBan. The paper charts the evolution of Japan's COVID-19 response from the earliest border restrictions in February 2020 to the eventual blanket reopening to international students in Summer 2022. Subsequently, survey DATA provide evidence of (1) the drastic mental health effects for prospective international students during this time, (2) students' loss of agency due to the protracted uncertainty of both policy and communication from the Japanese government, and (3) potential damage caused to Japan's reputation as a study destination. Drawing on these findings the paper offers broader suggestions for appropriate student migration policymaking: greater transparency, attention to students' security throughout their study sojourn, an emphasis on stability, and resilience to crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zen practice is often associated with aloof silence and introspection. However, any visitor to a Japanese Zen training temple will be surprised by the abundance and richness of the acoustic environment. In effect, every moment of the training schedule is accompanied, chronicled, and choreographed by percussions and chanting vocals. This paper will introduce this sonic environment and explain how different sounds construct the training experience. In particular, I will focus on sound instruments that coordinate daily activities, such as bells, gongs, drums, and the like, arguing that they are essential to Zen practice. The first part of the paper explains the unique characteristics of a Japanese Zen training temple, focusing on ritual sound instruments and their place within the monastic soundspace. The second part examines the meaning of these instruments as described in Zen canonical writing, focusing mainly on Baizang's monastic regulation and different references to it by Japanese masters throughout history. The third part explores how contemporary monastics understand sound instruments and their function in regulating the body, conveying values, and evoking spiritual transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of digital technologies, we have witnessed a rapid growth of the sharing economy in recent years. In fashion industry, sharing economy concept is also widely applied. Instances can be found all over the world, like Rent the Runway, Golden Tote, Stitch Fix, and Le Tote in the US, Air Closet in Japan, Y Closet, Ms Paris, and Dora's Dream in China, etc. In this paper, motivated by the industrial practices of fashion sharing platforms, we first conduct a literature review on business operations of sharing platforms, including the sharing platform operations, digital and information technologies employed in sharing economy, business models, and sustainability and circularity in business operations. Afterwards, we analyze the challenges faced by fashion sharing platforms by exploring the two leading fashion sharing platforms in the US and in China, respectively. At last, we propose future research directions on fashion sharing platform operations and conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Japanese government put forward the concept of Society 5.0 in January 2016, smart society has aroused extensive discussion in the international academic circle. However, this concept has been hardly discussed or cited in China. What is the root cause of this observation? Based on this question, this paper systematically reviews the existing literature on smart society both domestically and internationally. It provides a reverse critique of the misguided viewpoints supporting Society 5.0 from the perspectives of concept, motivation, elements, and goals. It also conducts a comprehensive analysis of the existing critical arguments against Society 5.0 in academia, considering theories, motivations, elements, and consequences, providing a forward critique. The paper further analyzes failed cases of smart society implementation, offering practical critique. By considering three perspectives, it identifies and categorizes the critical arguments against Society 5.0, forming three arrays of critique. Additionally, the paper addresses the fundamental reasons for the criticism of Society 5.0 in China and proposes an alternative vision: Civilization 5.0 as the ideal society of the future. Civilization 5.0 encompasses three transformative changes: eco-lization, intellectualization, and inclusiveness. In this new civilization, society needs to embrace ecological transformation, intellectualization, and multi-decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to show a possible path to address the introduction of intimate digital technologies through a phenomenological and postphenomenological perspective in relation to Japanese and Chinese contexts. Digital technologies are becoming intimate, and, in Japan and China, there are already many advanced digital technologies that provide digital companions for love relationships. Phenomenology has extensive research on how love relationships and intimacy shape the subjects. At the same time, postphenomenology provides a sound framework on how technologies shape the values and meanings we have. Thus, this paper introduces two digital technologies in Japan and China (Love Plus and XiaoIce chatbot), and it analyses according to the elements proposed by phenomenology and postphenomenology. In conclusion, this paper shows how digital companions like Love Plus and XiaoIce chatbot change who we are and the values and meanings we have according to the phenomenological and postphenomenological framework. These entities might not be human, but they shape who we are as human beings and the meanings and value we give to love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research paper on the images of Japan that readers of U.S. newspapers may create and the images of the U.S. that readers of Japanese newspapers might develop. It states that citizens of both countries would unlikely to reach accommodation on mutual conflicts if the potential for the development of equivalent images does not exist in both the U.S. and Japanese newspapers. It discusses systematic content analysis and impressionistic description of news in selected newspapers from the U.S. and Japan. It adds that readers from both countries are likely to gain different mental images on U.S.-Japan political and economic relations.

The Flutter framework with Dart programming allows developers to effortlessly build applications for both web and mobile from a single codebase. It enables efficient conversions to native codes for mobile apps and optimized JavaScript for web browsers. Since utilizing a wide range of widgets in Flutter ensures consistent experiences on various devices for users, it becomes crucial in programming education by providing a unified environment for learning app development while reducing the need for platform-specific knowledge. However, the setup of the Flutter environment is challenging for novice students due to its multiple steps, such as installing dependencies and configuring environments. To support independent learning for these students, it is essential to simplify the setup by providing user-friendly instructions and automated tools. In this paper, we present a Docker-based environment for Flutter app developments across Windows, Linux, and Mac through Visual Studio Code, ensuring a unified learning experience. This paper aims to simplify complex configurations and address the obstacles encountered by students when initiating Flutter projects. For the evaluation, we prepared three simple Flutter projects along with the setup environment in a Docker container. Then, we asked 24 Master's students at Okayama University, Japan, to install the environment and modify the source codes in the projects independently by following the given instructions. The results show that all the students successfully completed the assignments, which confirms the efficiency and validity of our proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global energy landscape transitions towards a more sustainable future, hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy carrier due to its potential to decarbonize various sectors. However, the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production by water electrolysis strongly depends on renewable energy source (RES) availability. Thus, it is necessary to overcome the challenges related to the intermittent nature of RESs. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of complementing green hydrogen production with grid electricity. An evaluation model for the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is proposed, considering both CO2 emissions and the influence of RES fluctuations on electrolyzers. A minimum load restriction is required to avoid crossover gas. Moreover, a new operation strategy is developed for hydrogen production plants to determine optimal bidding in the grid electricity market to minimize the LCOH. We evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach with a case study based on data from the Kyushu area in Japan. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the LCOH by 11% to 33%, and increase hydrogen productivity by 86% to 140%, without significantly increasing CO2 emission levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Purpose: In Japan, health-care systems have long been supported by physicians' long working hours. To solve this problem, there is an urgent need to improve the working environment for physicians while practicing patient-centered medicine and controlling health-care costs. This paper aims to examine the effect of task shifting to nurses and discuss its usefulness from the perspective of health-care value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes task shifting to nurses in acute care hospitals in Japan as a solution for the shortage of anesthesiologists. The authors discuss how the value was created from the perspective of the health-care ecosystem, with conceptual consideration of the value co-creation mechanism through patient-centered practices. Findings: The study showed that task shifting initiatives in Japan can improve the motivation of nurses through human resource development while maintaining high quality. The study also suggested that task shifting from physicians to nurses may contribute to improving net income and maintaining the health-care system. Practical implications: The findings are highly reproducible and can be immediately applied to initiatives at other medical institutions in Japan. Furthermore, it is suggested that these findings might provide some perspective on the realignment of fragmented healthcare in the USA. Originality/value: It was confirmed in practical terms that micro-level initiatives have an impact on the macro level as well. In addition, the academic presentation of the concept has contributed to the deepening of value research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to provide an understanding of how the transfer of progressive human resource management (HRM) practices may or may fail to render multinational enterprises (MNEs) institutional entrepreneurs creating change in job quality and decent work to underprivileged workers in the low-pay retail sector in Japan. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on survey questionnaire data and interviews with workers and management in a foreign retailer in Japan. Findings: The findings suggest that even where MNEs may provide some measurable material improvements in job quality, in this case equal pay for equal work, the total outcomes are nevertheless shaped by institutional context and constraints. In this case, the improvement in pay was intertwined with flexibility demands that were possible to meet for some workers but not others. In particular, women with care responsibilities and competing demands on their time were not able to experience "decent work" in the same way as others. Research limitations/implications: The study had a relatively low response rate, due to lack of discretion over time experienced by workers in Japan, as well as limited data on program outcomes, with interviews conducted with a small number of participants. Practical implications: The study suggests that spaces and opportunities exist for MNEs to diverge from dominant practices in given host country locations and exercise a level of agency as emissaries of decent work but successful outcomes require a very thorough understanding of individual worker experiences within the institutional constraints of given environments. Social implications: The study offers insights into the complexities of initiatives by MNEs to contribute to the provision of decent work, particularly for workers in underprivileged positions including women in low-pay sectors such as retail, as firm-level practices lead to variable outcomes when filtered through local institutions. Originality/value: The study brings together a focus on firm-level practices that inform much of the international HRM and international management scholarship with an emphasis on the experiences of workers, which is pursued in the sociology of work, to investigate whether MNEs can be actors in the realising of the Sustainable Development Goals around decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From mathematical models of growth to computer simulations of pigmentation, the study of shell formation has given rise to an abundant number of models, working at various scales. Yet, attempts to combine those models have remained sparse, due to the challenge of combining categorically different approaches. In this paper, we propose a framework to streamline the process of combining the molecular and tissue scales of shell formation. We choose these levels as a proxy to link the genotype level, which is better described by molecular models, and the phenotype level, which is better described by tissue-level mechanics. We also show how to connect observations on shell populations to the approach, resulting in collections of molecular parameters that may be associated with different populations of real shell specimens. The approach is as follows: we use a Quality-Diversity algorithm, a type of black-box optimization algorithm, to explore the range of concentration profiles emerging as solutions of a molecular model, and that define growth patterns for the mechanical model. At the same time, the mechanical model is simulated over a wide range of growth patterns, resulting in a variety of spine shapes. While time-consuming, these steps only need to be performed once and then function as look-up tables. Actual pictures of shell spines can then be matched against the list of existing spine shapes, yielding a potential growth pattern which, in turn, gives us matching molecular parameters. The framework is modular, such that models can be easily swapped without changing the overall working of the method. As a demonstration of the approach, we solve specific molecular and mechanical models, adapted from available theoretical studies on molluscan shells, and apply the multiscale framework to evaluate the characteristics of spines from three distinct populations of Turbo sazae. Author summary: Connecting genotype to phenotype is a fundamental goal in developmental biology. While many studies examine this link in model organisms for which gene regulatory networks are well known, for non-model organisms, different techniques are required, and multiscale computational modeling offers a promising direction. In this paper, we develop a framework linking molecular-scale interactions to tissue-level growth and mechanics to organ-level characteristics in order to investigate spine formation in T. sazae, a species of mollusc that displays remarkable phenotypic plasticity in spine form. Our analysis uncovers a subtle but statistically significant difference in spine form between shell specimens collected from three different localities in Japan. Moreover, by tracing the difference in form through parametric differences in the multiscale framework, we provide mechanistic insight as to how environmental differences may translate to a change in form. The methodology we present may readily be extended to more detailed modeling of this system, and the conceptual framework is amenable for multiscale analysis in other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly a decade of rapid development, woody biomass has been widely used in Japan for power generation and heating. However, it has faced bottlenecks in recent years, leading to a decline in its popularity. This study aimed to elucidate the current status of woody biomass utilization in Japan by reviewing relevant research papers on upstream resource supply and downstream case studies in the supply chain. The supply potential of woody biomass estimated by reviewed articles ranges from 1.2 to 5.5 m3/year/ha, yet a significant portion of this potential cannot be exploited. The utilization of government subsidies, mechanization, and aggregated forests can substantially enhance the availability. The utilization of woody biomass has garnered widespread attention from the Japanese government and private enterprises, presenting an economic impact ranging from 66 to 249 million JPY/t, along with a GHG emission reduction spanning from −17.29 to 202.44 kg-CO2eq/GJ. However, balancing cost and scale remains the primary challenge facing woody biomass utilization in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a scalable end-to-end tree boosting system called XGBoost has been applied for predicting the magnitude of an earthquake from the early part of earthquake waveform data. This model uses the features extracted from the early P wave phase of the records as an input. The model's effectiveness has been verified by using data on earthquakes occurring in the Eurasian plate of Japan Islands from 1996 to 2021. Feature engineering has given 29 new features identified from the early P wave phase of the record, which show a high correlation with the magnitude of an earthquake. The comparison of predicted and actual magnitude shows that a trained XGboost model, which uses a single input record for magnitude prediction, gives an average prediction error of 0.004 ± 0.57 for earthquakes in the test dataset. In contrast, the average prediction error of –1.1 ± 0.80 and –0.65 ± 0.69 has been obtained for the magnitude estimated from conventional τc and Pd methods using the same test dataset. It is further seen that the average predicted magnitude of a single earthquake of magnitude 4.5 and 6.1 (MJMA) obtained by using multiple nearfield records using XGBoost model is 4.58 ± 0.33 and 6.32 ± 0.29, which is close to the actual magnitude of the earthquake. The results presented in this paper clearly show that the structured data can be effectively used by complex machine learning or deep learning models to predict earthquake magnitude from single or multiple records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan is discharging nuclear contaminated water from the 2011 Fukushima incident into the sea after treatment with the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS). This process is expected to continue for decades, as planned by the Japanese government. This decision sparks opposition from many countries and international organizations, as well as constant protests from people in Japan and neighboring countries. Although there are no international documents specifically addressing the discharge of contaminants from a nuclear accident, it is found that the LOS Convention, treaties on nuclear safety, and international environmental laws provide the basis and legal framework for requiring Japan to implement environmental impact assessments throughout the entire process of Fukushima contaminated water discharge. First, this paper evaluates the consistency between the measures taken before Japan's decision to discharge contaminated water into the sea and the requirements under international laws. Second, this paper further examines the substantive and procedural requirements under international law for the entire process of Fukushima contaminated water discharge. It identifies substantive criteria to be applied in assessing the environmental impact of Fukushima contaminated water discharge based on international documents and explores the procedural requirements to assure transparency, prudence, and accountability of the assessment. Finally, given the potential transboundary damage caused by the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, this paper proposes that a new multi-stakeholder cooperative mechanism is necessary to achieve effective and credible monitoring and respond to the claims of potentially affected parties. In addition to providing a legal framework for the environmental impact assessment in the Fukushima case, this paper may also contribute to the proper disposal of nuclear contaminants in future nuclear accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for applying forging to high-density wood. A cylindrical container was formed using a closed die, and the appropriate conditions for temperature and punch length were evaluated. Ulin, which is a high-density wood, and Japanese cedar, which is a low-density wood and widely used in Japan, were used as test materials. The pressing directions were longitudinal and radial based on wood fiber orientation, and the shape and density of the resulting containers were evaluated. In the case of ulin, cracks decreased by increasing the temperature, while temperature had little effect on Japanese cedar. Containers without cracks were successfully formed by using a punch of appropriate length. The density of the containers was uniform in the punch length l = 20 and 40 mm in the L-directional pressing and l = 20 mm in the R-directional pressing when using ulin, with an average density of 1.34 g/cm3. This result indicates the forging ability of ulin is high compared to that of commonly used low-density woods. In summary, this paper investigated the appropriate parameters for forging with ulin. As a result, products of more uniform density than products made by cutting were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sakurajima Volcano Observatory, with a history exceeding 60 years, is recognized by researchers in Japan and overseas for conducting frontier research centering on Sakurajima, the most active volcano in Japan. It is owned by Kyoto University and represents the university in the surrounding communities. This paper reviews the open-door events, which have been conducted yearly for the last ten years as a part of a university-wide effort by Kyoto University. They make use of the facilities at Sakurajima Volcano Observatory, which aims to enhance the understanding of volcanoes among the general public in collaboration with geo-guides as "boundary workers." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Japan's discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean has attracted widespread attention. To effectively address the challenge of separating uranium, the focus is on finding a healthy and environmentally friendly way to adsorb uranium using biochar. In this paper, a BP neural network is combined with each of the four meta-heuristic algorithms, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Differential Evolution (DE), Cheetah Optimization (CO) and Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA), to construct four prediction models for the uranium adsorption capacity in the treatment of radioactive wastewater with biochar: PSO-BP, DE-BP, CO-BP, FLA-BP. The coefficient of certainty (R2), error rate and CEC test set are used to judge the accuracy of the model based on the BP neural network. The results show that the Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA) has a better search ability and convergence speed than the other algorithms. The importance of the input parameters is quantitatively assessed and ranked using XGBoost in order to analyze which parameters have a greater impact on the predictions of the model, which indicates that the parameters with the greatest impact are the initial concentration of uranium (C0, mg/L) and the mass percentage of total carbon (C, %). To sum up, four prediction models can be applied to study the adsorption of uranium by biochar materials during actual experiments, and the advantage of Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA) is more obvious. The method of model prediction can significantly reduce the radiation risk caused by uranium to human health during the actual experiment and provide some reference for the efficient treatment of uranium wastewater by biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transport providers often attempt to prevent passenger behaviour they consider dangerous, deviant, or otherwise undesirable through media technologies such as posters, signage, and overhead announcements. This paper explores the rationale of such mediated regulatory endeavours by taking up the example of 'manner improvement' poster campaigns by urban rail providers in Tokyo. Based on expert interviews with individuals involved in the production of poster campaigns and analysis of industry documents, it examines the motives and considerations guiding company interventions into passengers' everyday mobility practices. While previous scholarship has largely viewed such initiatives as a form of social control, this paper interprets manner improvement efforts as a customer service strategy. The paper examines posters' content, design, and limitations to argue that manner improvement efforts by urban transport providers are not primarily concerned with disciplining passengers but satisfying customer sensibilities. Enquiring into transit etiquette posters from the perspective of transport and design companies involved in creating them, this paper presents a novel contribution to the study of urban mobilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake caused radionuclide 137Cs be directly released into the ocean from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plants. A high-resolution global-coastal nesting ocean model was established to simulate the initial spread of 137Cs as conservative tracer over the shelf of Japan after the accident. The major advantage in the current model system is to use unstructured grids to resolve the power plant and the coastal geometry with a grid resolution much higher than that used in previous modeling experiments. Therefore, it gives us an opportunity to examine the necessity whether the detailed structure of the Power plant should be considered for numerical experiment of 137Cs dispersion or not. This could provide us an alternative insight into the physical processes that lead to its spread of 137Cs over the shelf of Japan. Our results suggested that to resolve the dispersion process from the source point to the south and north discharging canal is critical for an accurate prediction of the spread of 137Cs to the 30 km sites off the coast. Moreover, a 2 km grid resolution along Japan coast is probably not high enough to resolve the plume correctly. Finally, the model- data comparison suggested that the physical process associated with the transfer of dissolved 137Cs into the sediment phase could potentially be important and should be considered in the future tracer modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's economy, one of the most important national indicators of economic growth performance is the country's ability to produce new technology--and use it responsibly and efficiently--for environmental protection or energy conservation, production and consumption in agreement with international standards. The purpose of this study is to identify the Research and Development (R&D) capability in the area of environmentally friendly technologies in China, Japan and Korea over the last twenty years. As the field is very wide, Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction technologies were taken as a case study for the purpose of this article. During 1990-2011 a total of 788 papers in the field of WGS technologies were published by scientists in China, Japan and Korea. China was the top producing country with 394 papers (50%) followed by Japan with 250 papers (32%), and Korea with 144 papers (18%). The growth of the literature in the field was found to be exponential in nature for China. The R&D capabilities were found to correlate directly with the Gross Domestic Expenditures on R&D (GERD), Researchers in Full-time equivalents (FTE), and other economic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Scientific productivity is relevant to support clinical activity, improve therapeutic strategies, and understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of neurological disorders. We performed an updated bibliometric research to assess the country-specific relationship between neurological scientific production and socio-economic variables of dedicated resources. Methods: Neurological scientific productivity of 168 countries, from 1996 to 2019, was obtained using the SCImago online website. Data on gross domestic product (GDP), percentage of GDP spent in research and development, and number of researchers per million people were obtained using the World Bank Group website. Results: The USA was the first country in terms of documents produced (260,030), followed by Germany (69,841), Japan (65,200), the UK (60,914), and Italy (50,017). Except for Japan, all the most productive countries had an increase in scientific productivity in the last 12 years. In 2019, the USA still ranked first in the number of neurological papers published, followed by Germany, the UK, Italy, and Japan. Among the most productive countries, Canada and Japan did not increase the percentage of GDP spent in research over time. Except for Canada and Japan, all the most productive countries increased the number of researchers in the last years. Conclusions: Our analysis provided novel evidence of the adequacy of the scientific return on country-specific investment of local dedicated resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]